Black Tide
by Blipthedwarf
Summary: Ava Ripley, genetically engineered from the DNA of the original Ellen Ripley. Richard B. Riddick, Big Evil himself, convict and murderer. When these two forces combine in a war against the Xenomorph plague and the corrupt corporation of Weyland-Yutani, the Universe will tremble. Heaven doesn't want 'em and Hell's sure they'll take over.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Riddick, Aliens, Predator or any familiar names of people or places. Not intended to make a profit._

_Warning: Violence and foul language._

_Author's Note: This is my first crossover fiction and the first one I've posted that isn't completed yet. It may take some time but I assure you future chapters will be posted as soon as they are finished. I don't like to rush anything and tend to write only when the muse takes me. Hope you enjoy and watch for gratuitous one-liners from a smorgasbord of sci-fi classics! I do like to be funny!_

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_Riddick/Aliens/Predator Crossover_

**Prologue: Another Day in the Underground**

PLANET: BG-386 (REGION: UNDISCLOSED)

The darkened tunnels beneath the Weyland-Yutani Research Facility had looked inviting enough when she'd dropped through the access panel. Now, with only intermittent yellow lights to light her way, Ava silently cursed the rash decision she had made to escape through them. Her earbud clicked and hissed angrily in her ear indicating that the reception was poor in the tunnels and her waiting extraction team could no longer communicate with her. "Gonna be a little late, guys." She muttered absently to herself. Disgusted with the irritating sound, Ava reached up and switched off the device. It would do her no good down in the tunnels anyway. From somewhere behind her, Ava could hear angry voices and the stomping of booted feet coming in her direction. Ava grumbled angrily and took off at a steady sprint. Her legs burned and her chest ached to the point of bursting. "This guy better be worth it." She muttered as she made a sliding stop at a T shaped intersection. "Which way?" Ava grumbled as peered down both darkened tunnels. The meager level of light gave her a poor view of either choice, even with the midnight blue of her night vision. A loud clamor came from the tunnel to her left, indicating the presence of Weyland security just as they emerged into her line of view. "Okay, not that way." Ava muttered to herself as she abruptly turned to the right making a blind run down the tunnel.

The ground was wet and slick with sludge, making her footing tricky. The pipes above her that lined the tunnels leaked profusely making an already irritatingly difficult situation that much harder. Ava's foot landed hard in a deep puddle, splashing the dirty water over her thighs. She had no time to worry about the condition of her clothes as she neared what she hoped was the end of her run. A ladder extended toward a sealed door, presumably leading out toward the rear of the facility. Ava clamored up the ladder, desperately twisting at the firmly tightened seal. She grunted with exertion but was unable to get the seal to budge. Behind her the security guards closed in, their booted feet splashing in the mire that lined the tunnel floor. Ava twisted desperately, eventually attempting the use of two hands for added leverage. Loosing her footing on the metal ladder, Ava was suddenly pitched backward onto the saturated floor of the tunnel. Her spine jarred at the impact and Ava was forced to bite back a cry of pain as the sensation crawled up her backbone like a spike of fire. Grunting with pained exertion, Ava stood slowly as what she estimated to be at least a dozen guns cocked behind her. "Get your hands up, scum!" Someone yelled behind her in a gravelly voice that sounded as if he'd suffered a long bout of laryngitis recently.

Her hands rose slowly into the air, indicating she was no longer a threat and willing to comply with their orders. Red lasers played across her back and the back of her hooded head. Above her a quiet clanging on the sealed door made Ava give a playful smirk. She remained completely still, listening intently as one of the security guards approached her slowly, a pair of shackles in one hand and his weapon still trained on her with the other. Ava could feel the cold metal of the shackles as one end closed around her wrist. The guard pulled her arm back behind her prompting Ava to act, spinning around with unbelievable speed and pulling the shackles out of the guard's hand. She swung it briefly above her head, flinging it toward the stunned man's head with such force it drove him backward into his comrades. Ava clamored up the slick wall of the tunnel with the ease of a spider, nestling herself atop the pipes that hung from above. The guards opened fire with their weapons, narrowly missing her with each shot. "Stop firing you idiots! The middle pipe is a gas line! You'll blow us all to hell!" The guard Ava had struck with the shackles yelled as the gunfire stopped immediately. _Gas line, really…._ Ava noted to herself as she slowly crawled backward suspended by the pipes. There was a sickening groaning sound accompanied by the shifting of the pipeline away from the wall to which it was secured.

The hatch above was pulled away with great force and rain began to pour in from outside. Ava smirked from her precarious perch, preparing to leap to the ladder. Ava lunged herself off of the pipes that suddenly pulled away from the wall, leaning half way and tearing a gouge in the gas line. The smell was immediately evident as the putrid and deadly vapor poured into the enclosed space of the tunnel. Ava grabbed a hold of the rope that dangled above her, ready to pull her away to safety. "Gotta go guys, it's been fun." Ava teased playfully as she drew her pistol from her belt, slowly ascending through the hatch above her and toward the ship that hovered in the air. Aiming carefully, Ava pulled the trigger on her pistol three times, igniting the gas below and hopefully giving Weyland-Yutani something to think about. The flames swept through the tunnel with lightning speed and belched through the hatch, just barely licking at Ava's boots. _Ooops…close call. _Ava thought to herself as she pulled her feet away from the encroaching flames. The line drew Ava into the belly of the Icharus as the young man standing ready, closed and sealed the door to ready the ship for space travel. "Let's go. I wasn't exactly making friends down there." Ava urged as the pilot, Michael Hooper, activated the thrusters sending them through the atmosphere with only a trail of disturbed atmosphere in their wake.

Caring little for her muddy attire, Ava made her way through the small vessel toward the controls and seated herself in the copilot's seat. Michael glanced over at her, a wide grin on his face. "I think you're in trouble. Bish is on the com and I told him you were blowin' stuff up again." The overly proud look on Michael's face made Ava roll her eyes in feigned disgust. Michael had been a close friend for many years and she actually enjoyed the banter and camaraderie they had with one another. "Patch him through. He won't be as mad when I tell him what I have for him." Ava ended the comment with a chuckle that she quickly swallowed as Bishop's stern face appeared on the screen at the center of the console. His brown hair was swept to one side and his face bore a few age wrinkles that only seemed to accentuate the air of wisdom that seemed to radiate off of him. "Did you get what you were sent in there for?" Bishop inquired, eager to hear the success of failure of the mission. Ava grinned and held up the small metal device that contained all files pertinent to their next target. "That's my girl!" Bishop beamed as Ava inserted the device into a slot beneath the screen. "You getting this?" Ava asked, wondering if the files were downloading accurately and hoping they hadn't been just a smokescreen. "Yeah." Bishop answered. "Lotta information here. Worked for The Company, supposedly killed four hundred and ninety nine men in a week. In and out of slam, possibly psychotic, good with a blade, can pilot anything." Ava smirked as Bishop read the information he had received on his end. "I like him already." She purred, leaning back in the co-pilot's seat and swaying it back in forth with her foot resting on the console. "Good." Bishop responded, his mouth quirking in a rare smile. "You're gonna be the one to pick him up."

The co-pilot's chair stopped it's movements immediately following Bishop's announcement of her next assignment. Ava sighed deeply, she should have expected this. "Fine." She grumbled. "What's the next stop?" Ava folded one of her legs beneath herself and leaned toward the screen. Bishop was engaged in reading the information giving the location of their target. "Michael will be taking you to Emerus Station where you will board the merchant vessel Hunter-Gratzner enroute to the Tangiers System. I've already booked you passage under a false name, your ID's and appropriate paperwork are already aboard the Icharus. Your target, Richard B. Riddick is currently in the custody of William Johns, who is posing as a mercenary." Ava snorted through her nose at the information Bishop provided. This was going to be an interesting mission. "He's not really a merc?" Ava inquired, wondering exactly what she would have to deal with. "No. Johns was a Company soldier until his morphine addiction led to a dishonorable discharge. Somehow he got into the good graces of Weyland-Yutani and was assigned to collect Riddick for their research facility….as a host." Ava felt her stomach churn at the news. They wanted the convict to be a host for a new batch of Xenomorphs, killing him in the process. She didn't care who he was or what he was accused of doing, that was no way for someone to die. Ava had lost enough friends that way and hoped to never see it again. Ava pushed away the disturbing images, clutching her arms tightly around her abdomen. "Okay, so this is a rescue mission. Is there any chance Riddick knows?" Ava inquired, idly fumbling with the handle of the knife she kept in her boot. Bishop shook his head. "No. As far as Riddick knows, he's being transported back to slam. Johns has never indicated he is anything but a merc." Bishop paused briefly, ending the momentary silence that followed with a deep sigh. "Ava, be careful. This guy is dangerous." The concern in his voice was unmistakable. "Who, Riddick?" Ava wondered aloud, given the information she had already been told about the convict. "No." Bishop responded. "Johns."

Emerus Station was as bustling with activity as it was filthy. Piles of garbage littered nearly every corner and crevice, not only marring the appearance of the station but adding a strong putrid odor that threatened to make Ava relive the lunch she'd recently eaten, only backwards. "Gods, this place smells worse than a hive." Ava commented as Michael led her toward the boarding platform for the Hunter-Gratzner. "Okay, that's it, through there. These are your papers and your ID's." Michael stated as he handed her the appropriate information she would need to pass on to the Captain. "Tammy Harmon!" Ava cried out incredulously, nearly falling over in laughter at the name Bishop had chosen for her. "Do I actually look like a fucking Tammy! Bishop is gonna get his when I get back!" Michael forcibly pushed her against the wall, away from the prying eyes of those around them who had been drawn to Ava's burst of laughter. "Cut it out! Just get on that ship, get that guy outta the hands of Weyland scum and come back home….preferably in one piece." Michael rarely raised his voice and almost never yelled at Ava. The sudden sternness he displayed was so unlike him, Ava had no choice but to calm herself. "Sorry." Ava muttered, still trying to stifle the remaining giggles that threatened to erupt from her. Michael led her toward the boarding ramp, the furthest he could possibly go. Slowly, he handed Ava her black duffle, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Do you have anything in here besides weapons?" Michael had noted the heaviness of the duffle as he'd lifted it off the floor of the Meridian. Ava offered him a wry smirk. "Probably some tampons. Why do you need 'em?" Michael only rolled his eyes, pushing Ava toward the boarding platform of the Hunter-Gratzner. "Good luck." He muttered, knowing Ava would certainly hear him even over the din of the station.

They had made it just in time, the large door shut behind Ava as she handed her paperwork and ID's to the Captain. He eyed them specutively, shifting his gaze between the papers and the young woman who stood before him. "Okay, Tammy, step over there and they'll set you up in a cryo unit. I could stow that bag for you, if you'd like." The captain reached for the duffle that Ava clutched tightly in her hand but she pulled away before he had a chance to grab it. She had to stifle the desire to hiss at the man as she hovered protectively between her weapons and the Captain. "I'm good. I'll keep it with me if that's all the same to you." Ava purred with a feigned smile as she abruptly turned her back on him and strode toward the passenger compartment of the massive vessel. The compartment was dimly lit and lined on either side with cryo tubes, some of which were already filled with passengers. Ava took a moment to study her surroundings, familiarizing herself with the layout and the people within. In the distance she heard a male voice with a thick accent speaking in an undoubtedly Muslim tongue as he attempted to coax a young boy into the constricting tube. _I don't blame ya, kid. _Ava thought to herself as she watched the turban headed boy reluctantly step into the tube and allow a woman with short blonde hair to place a cuff over his arm. Ava hated cryo, never able to fall into the deep slumber normal people enjoyed during long space flights. She had always considered she was too primal, too animalistic. Ava had only had the displeasure a few times, but hated it more and more every time she was forced into a glass tube. Further down, a weasely looking man with a British accent was arguing with someone about his belongings and threatening a law suit should anything be damaged during transport. Ava snorted and rolled her eyes as the man's voice rose in pitch indicating his increasing distress.

Someone brushed roughly passed Ava, nearly knocking her over in his haste. The blonde haired man paused briefly, turning his blue eyed gaze toward her and giving her a look that resembled something like amusement. For a moment, Ava thought he'd intended to apologize, but he only smirked and continued on with his own business. "Asshole." Ava muttered as she slowly made her way further into the passenger hold, still tightly clutching her bag. Passing a large, grey containment unit, Ava glanced through the thick glass and nearly gasped at the sight of the massively built figure inside. She studied him carefully for a moment, letting her eyes travel over his well toned body and hissing inwardly with anger at the restraints and bit that held him at bay. _Like he's some kinda animal. That's just fucking sick. _It was no stretch of the imagination that this was the man she was looking for, and by the looks of it he was well worth it. Ava was startled from her observation as a bone chilling voice with a southern accent spoke from the opposite side of the containment unit. "Best step back, Miss. He's a dangerous criminal." The man from before with blonde hair and blue eyes leaned casually against the unit. "He doesn't look that dangerous. Besides, he's well restrained, isn't he?" Ava asked, giving the cold looking man her best impression of an innocent young woman. The blonde man chuckled, a sound that sent a shiver down Ava's spine. She took the briefest moment to catch his scent, attempting to not seem too obvious. He smelled of sweat, cheap aftershave and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. Either way, she was desperately starting to dislike this man, something about him unsettled her. "If he get's loose, you'll see just how dangerous he can be." The man said, his drawl more pronounced as he tried to seem…what was that…seductive? Ava had to push back the bile that rose in her throat as the man closed the distance between them and held out his hand. "Name's Johns. You are?" He made the introduction and Ava had to force herself to shake his hand. _So this is Weyland's latest bitch! _Ava forced a pleasant smile as she shook his hand with a loose, tentative grip. "Tammy Harmon." Ava choked out the name having almost forgotten her false identity. She quickly pulled her hand away, a little afraid that she might get some of his Weyland-Yutani stink all over it. Johns gave Ava what she perceived was meant to be a beguiling smile although it only served to ignite her disgust further. "Nice to meet you Tammy, maybe we could share a drink when we get to our destination. This guy ain't goin' nowhere." Johns used his thumb to indicate the well restrained Riddick and Ava couldn't help but chance a glance in the convict's direction. Ava's dark brown eyes flitted back toward Johns as she offered him her best saucy smile. "Maybe." She stated with a purr in her voice as she abruptly walked passed him toward the first available cryo tube. _Yeah, right! Cuz that'll happen! _Ava thought to herself as she considered Johns' offer. There was something else that bothered her more than the little bitch Johns attempting to hit on her. As she had turned away she had the distinct feeling Riddick was watching her although he had a blindfold over his eyes. A sound echoed in the back of her mind, something Ava had only thought to be in her imagination: a low, menacing growl.

Ava stowed her bag between the cryo tube that would be her home for the next couple of months, pulling out the shackles she had retained from the security guards and securing her bag to a metal bracket poking out of the wall. Using her foot, Ava pushed the bag as far back as it could possibly go, hoping the darkness of the small space would hide it well enough. The blonde woman from earlier approached Ava and helped her into the tube, placing a cuff around her arm that would feed her nutrients and pump the solution into her that was supposed to keep her asleep. Ava shuttered a little as the glass door of the tube closed in front of her, locking her away from the outside world. Ava took a few deep breaths, steadying herself in the claustrophobia inducing chamber. Closing her eyes, she let herself slip into a deep meditative state, making the passage of time slightly easier to bear. Ava knew she wouldn't sleep, not like normal humans but at least this way she could lock out all around her while remaining aware enough to avoid any possible dangers. She opened her eyes only once, casting her eyes in the direction of her target. Even tucked away in the safety of the tube, Ava could feel the danger and menace radiating off of him. While it should have frightened her, it only served to intrigue Ava. She'd dealt with dangerous things before, and Riddick was not high on her list of worries. Johns, on the other hand, was.

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Thus endeth the prologue. Don't worry, action, adventure, mahem and Xenomorphs coming up! Review if you like, I really want to know what people think of this idea. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Again, do not own Riddick, Xenomorphs, or any familiar characters or places. _

_Warning: Violence, gore, foul language and gratuitous Johns abuse (cuz he deserves it). More homage to sci fi classics, too. On with the show..._

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_Riddick / Aliens / Predator Crossover Fan fiction_

**Part One: Crash And Burn**

PLANET M6-117, M-344 G SYSTEM

They say most of your brain shuts down in cryo-sleep. All but the primitive side, the animal side. No wonder I'm still awake. Transporting me with civilians. Sounded like forty, forty plus. Heard an Arab voice. Some hoodoo holy man, probably on his way to New Mecca. But what route? What route? I smelt a woman. Sweat, boots, tool belt, leather. Prospector type. And they only take the back roads. And here's my real problem. Mr. Johns….the blue eyed devil. Planning on taking me back to slam….only this time he picked a ghost lane. A long time between stops. A long time for something to go wrong…. Smelled another woman, one that made my beast stand up and take notice. Something different about this one. Smelled leather, sweat, something metallic, gun oil. Had a primal feel to her, the way she stood, walked, sniffed the air. I would have smiled if it weren't for this fucking bit in my mouth. I know she was watching me, she looked in my cage when she came on board. That fucker Johns had the balls to hit on her but I could tell she wasn't having it. The disgust rolled off of her like sweet perfume. Couldn't see her clearly with this damn blindfold on, but her scent was enough to drive me wild for hours. Pure animal, pure strength. I wonder if there's a fiery rage to go with that enticing package. Hope I get the chance to find out for myself.

**Chapter One: Crashing**

The hulking mass of metal, the Hunter-Gratzner, drifted lazily through the dark abyss of the universe, all inhabitants tucked safely in their cryo tubes for the duration of the several month long flight. Enroute to the Tangiers System, the vessel coasted on autopilot, unable to avoid the deadly tail of the rogue comet that had crossed it's path. Golf ball sized pieces of frozen debris punctured through the hull of the ship with the deadly speed and accuracy of bullets. The captain's tube was struck first, killing the poor man instantly. Other projectiles followed, further damaging the integrity of the hull and causing the autopilot to react instantly and direct the vessel to the nearest planet that could sustain human life. The injured ship made an instant course correction and veered toward a small desert planet registered in the charts as M6-117, a deserted hellhole floating in the midst of space. Another cluster of frozen rock impacted the ship, puncturing a few of the occupied cryo tubes and killing their inhabitants. Trembling and quaking, the Hunter-Gratzner began to plummet toward the desert planet, aided only by the vessel's computer.

Docking Pilot Carolyn Fry's eyes slitted open just as the frozen spheres punctured through the captain's cryo tube, narrowly missing her own by inches. More tiny missiles followed as the vessel quaked and rocked. The door of her tube sprang open and she tumbled weakly from it, falling atop her comrade Owens. "Why did you fall on me?! Why did you fall at all! Gravity ain't supposed to kick in for another few weeks!" Owens grunted as Fry pulled herself off of him. "Captain's dead." She muttered as she scrambled toward the bridge to assess the damage and attempt to salvage their precarious position. From where she was seated she could hear Owens calling a mayday over the com unit. "Attention, this is merchant vessel Hunter-Gratzner…" His voice drifted off as she tried to concentrate on getting the vessel out of the nosedive it had entered into. "I gotta drop some weight." Fry muttered as she pulled a lever that released the aft portion of the ship. Luckily it only contained a few personal belongings and supplies. "Was that a purge, Fry?!" Owens shouted angrily from his own seat. Fry clutched the controls for dear life, growling inwardly at Owens' attempt to reprimand her. "I can't get my fucking nose up!" She shouted as if to excuse her actions. For a few moments time seemed to slow, there was only the thunderous droning of the disabled vessel and the constant shaking that kept Fry in the here and now. "I gotta purge the whole load." Fry mumbled to herself as she watched the blinking warning indicators on the screen below her. "Don't you touch that handle, Fry!" Owens shouted as he wedged open the door behind his seat, placing a metal pole to hold it open. Fry reached up slowly toward the red handle above her head. "I won't die for them." She mumbled as if to excuse her from the potential murder of forty civilians. Fry pulled hard, but the handle stopped half way indicating that the purge could not be completed. She pulled a few more times, screaming in frustration.

The heavy shaking of the ship made it hard to focus as Johns slowly opened his eyes. Instantly he focused on the containment unit that held his prize, silently relieved that the convict was still restrained inside. The eerie blinking of the lights that flickered over the muscular man made him look more menacing than ever. He knew something was desperately wrong as the ship pitched awkwardly, sending him spilling out of the cryo tube and onto the floor. Johns pushed himself onto his hands and knees, glancing about at the other occupied tubes before returning his gaze toward the chained convict. As the vessel impacted the planet, several other tubes were pulled free of their holdings and pitched onto the floor, including the one Ava occupied. She grunted as pain flared up her spine under the impact of landing with the heavy tube on top of her. Ava desperately tried to turn her head, but the weight of the tube combined with it's cylindrical shape made it impossible to move let alone see anything. The vessel pitched and rocked, pinning her further beneath the tubular prison. Ava let out a whimpering scream as she felt herself being painfully crushed beneath the tube. She suddenly felt the weight lessen a bit before being removed altogether and Ava was relieved to finally be able to breathe. Slowly she made her way onto her hands and knees, wincing at the pain in her back as well as a sharp stinging sensation in her arms. Ava smelled blood and knew it could only be hers. Slowly she glanced up, her equilibrium a little out of whack from the constant trembling of the crashing ship. Above her a tall, muscular figure rose to full height, silhouetted against the dim lighting of the ship. He cocked his head to the side slightly before giving a curt nod, as if in some form of greeting. Ava knew instantly by the strong musky scent that it was Riddick, who had escaped his confines although he remained in bit and shackles. Blindfolded, Ava knew he couldn't see and wasn't sure how he'd managed not only to know where she was but that she was in trouble. Not to mention how he was able to easily lift the cryo tube off of her.

There was a sickening sound of grinding metal, a horrid tearing noise that grated on her ears. Instantly, Riddick lunged at her, pinning Ava against the cryo tube moments before the side of the ship was torn away. Half a dozen cryotubes as well as several crates were sucked out of the gaping hole and sent to their doom on the sandy surface of the desert planet. From her vantage point, peering over Riddick's shoulder, Ava could see Johns hanging on for dear life as the ship lurched and finally crashed into the planet's hard surface. Ava's head was lurched backward, striking hard against the side of the cryo tube behind her and sending stars dancing behind her eyes. Ava's last vision before darkness took her was Riddick's stern face.

Blackness….seeping, inky blackness and the sounds of concerned voices calling out for survivors somewhere at a distant end of the ship. Slowly, Ava opened her eyes, blinking and grimacing at the stinging brightness that met her brown orbs. Sighing, she desperately tried to move her limbs and assess that everything still worked properly. Ava flexed her fingers and wiggled her toes as far as they could in her constricting boots. Satisfied with limited movement, Ava tried her arms and legs next and found them also functioning at full capacity. Ava groaned at the shards of glass that protruded from her arms, seeping blood onto her brown leather jacket. _Shit! I really liked this jacket. _Ava cursed silently to herself as she tried to pry herself from her uncomfortable sitting position. Her back still screamed with pain as she tried to stand, righting herself slowly and carefully observing the damage around her. It looked as if the ship had turned itself upside down, cryo tubes lie in haphazard piles, crates overturned spilling their contents on the ground, large metal girders twisted and mangled amongst the wreckage. Across from her position, two survivors worked steadily to free someone from their tube. Out of the overturned unit, a boy of about twelve or thirteen spilled out onto the floor, looking wildly about at the concerned faces above him. "I take it something went wrong?" He stated, more calmly than Ava would have imagined.

Stepping away from her damaged tube, Ava took a moment to glance at the containment unit and smirked seeing that it's occupant was no longer inside. A flash of memory burst through her brain and she recalled it was that very occupant who had protected during the impact of the ship. _I'll have to thank him for that later. _Ava thought to herself, silently wondering where the convict may have gone in such a short amount of time. "Hey, someone's over here!" A woman's voice with a thick Australian accent called out as she made her way in Ava's direction. Ava stepped away from the wreckage of her tube and decided she needed to play the roll of the grateful survivor. Inside her head she recited her false name repeatedly to avoid compromising her undercover mission. "You okay, you look pretty beat up?" The woman asked, more kindly than Ava imagined her appearance portrayed. Still, the woman looked like she was a lot tougher than one might give her credit for. "Yeah, fine. My tube tipped over is all." Ava stated nonchalantly, the last thing she wanted was people fussing over her injuries that would probably heal in a day or so. "We need to take a look at that arm, get that glass out and treat the cuts." The woman stated moments before making a more proper introduction. "I'm Shazza." Ava grinned politely, although the action looked strained and false. "Tammy, and you don't have to worry about me. It's only a flesh wound." Ava was in no mood to be coddled and decided to shock the growing number of gawkers by idly picking the shards of glass from her arm. Ava tossed each one to the ground as if she were only picking leaves from her clothes, she didn't even flinch as she removed the sharp objects. She could barely contain the smile that tugged at her lips as the survivors winced with each shard removed. _Tougher than I look, guys. _Ava mused as she completed the task and dropped her bleeding arm as if nothing was wrong with it. In truth, Ava had very little to worry about; the wounds would heal by the following day and she currently felt only a moderate amount of pain. She knew, however, that she needed to tone down the tough guy act or risk drawing suspicion but she just couldn't help showing off a little and scaring the straights.

Johns dashed by, somewhere in the distance and disappeared into the bowels of the wrecked ship. _Damn, you survived. _Ava sighed dejectedly as she watched the would-be merc disappear into the recesses of the wreckage. She'd heard him curse when he spotted the empty containment unit and knew he was on the hunt for his prize. Ava briefly considered intervening, maybe even killing the blonde haired, blue eyed pretender but decided that subterfuge may be the better coarse of action. Johns slipped into the lower recesses of the vessel, carefully making his way though the twisted wreckage while keeping his eyes peeled for surprise attacks. It hadn't been that long since they'd crashed and Johns had decided that Riddick couldn't have gotten far, especially if he was still in shackles and bit. With his eyes searching wildly, Johns made his way through a long corridor, listening intently for any sound. With the speed of a panther, Riddick descended from above, wrapping his legs around Johns' neck and using the restraints on his ankles to cut of the merc's air supply. Johns struggled against him, trying desperately to pull the tightened metal from around his throat. With a quick movement, Johns extended his Billy stick and proceeded to strike Riddick across his thighs and ribs. Riddick lost his grip on the pipes above and fell onto the hard metal floor, nearly knocking the breath out of himself. Johns stood over him, grinning from ear to ear. "One of these days one of us is gonna get hurt….and it ain't gonna be me."

**Chapter Two: Face to Face**

Sore and defeated, Riddick was dragged to the upper portion of the ship and chained to a metal girder, his arms positioned painfully behind him. For added effect, Johns felt the sadistic need to kick Riddick's prone body twice, once in the leg and the second made contact with his abdomen. Riddick only grunted once, stifling any other sound of pain that might give the merc any satisfaction. Johns only chuckled as stepped away from the newly restrained convict to leave him until he decided the best course of action that could be taken with him. As irritating as Riddick had been during the entire charade of his capture, Johns had no intention of loosing him…he was far too precious a commodity. The remaining survivors, numbering at least nine including the absent docking pilot who was sitting beside her now deceased comrade, Owens, all milled around outside. They had been eager to escape the ship and avoid any possible confrontation with the dangerous murderer who was loose somewhere in the ship. Ava lingered near the doorway of the wreckage from which the overly confident Johns appeared. He was in such a hurry that he accidentally plowed into Ava again, nearly knocking her over. "Guess we keep bumpin' into each other." Johns drawled with a sickening smile stretching across his lips. Ava returned the grin as she tried to keep what remained of her stomach contents from emptying onto the ground. Johns had the audacity to wink at her as he passed by to alert the survivors of Riddick's capture. Ava's fake grin transformed into a real one that stretched across her face as she carefully pocketed the goggles she had just stolen off of Johns' person. _Probably should watch who you bump into, asshole. _Ava mused to herself as she prepared to set her plan into action.

Ava remained in the shadows of the twisted wreckage, listening to the conversation between Johns and Fry as they discussed the dangerous criminal tied up only a few feet away from them. "Is he really that dangerous?" Fry inquired, her gaze passing between the muscular man tied to the girder and the merc to her left. "Only around people." Johns responded with a slight snicker, as if he enjoyed poking jibes at a man whom he knew could clearly hear him. "So we just leave him tied up all the time?" Fry continued, almost sounding as if she didn't relish that option. Ava was growing impatient, she just wanted them to go away and give her a chance to enact her plan. It wasn't the best one, she had to admit, but this latest issue of a crash landing had her making adjustments, and quickly. The last thing she heard as the voices drifted off was the sound of Johns' voice. "That's what I would suggest."

The air around him churned with her scent, Riddick could tell she was close, enticingly close. A soft purr reverberated in Riddick's chest as he let the delicious aroma envelope him and wash over him. Ava appeared out of the darkness before him, her footfalls as silent as the wind that coasted over the surface of the planet. Riddick turned his head slightly, attempting to get a glimpse of her through the tear in his blindfold. She had a slender figure encased in tight leather pants, a form fitting shirt that was buried beneath a pocketed vest and short leather jacket. Still, as Ava crouched before him, Riddick got a fleeting but fascinating glimpse of her cleavage. All in all, Riddick had to admit she was quite a sight to see. With her silent footing and precise movement, Riddick could tell that this woman was a warrior, or at least someone who was equipped to fight. Ava regarded Riddick for a moment, letting her eyes trail over his toned physique as she admired his nearly perfect physical form. His muscles twitched ever so slightly with his strained movements, everything perfect and tensed for battle. _Now I know why Weyland picked you. _Ava considered as she forced herself out of her moment of visual lust, an action that was rather unlike her. Slowly, she reached toward the bit that ran through Riddick's mouth, searching for the release mechanism that she knew had to be there. "I'm gonna get you outta here. Just stay still, I gotta work quickly before that half cocked merc comes back." Ava whispered as Riddick reflexively backed away from her touch. Riddick remained completely still while Ava worked the bit out of his mouth. She released both latches carefully and slowly pulled the uncomfortable looking metal contraption from Riddick's aching mouth. Ava had to admit, being so close to this imposing man made her slightly nervous. She had little to worry about, she knew. Riddick was unarmed and she could easily best him if need be.

Riddick worked his mouth slowly, trying to ease the ache in his jaw. Ava pocketed the torture device and slowly reached for his blindfold. "Unless that sun suddenly went down, you better leave that on." Riddick ground out over his stiff tongue. "Don't worry, I got somethin' better. Close your eyes a minute." Ava instructed as Riddick smirked slightly and obeyed her command. He was very curious as to what this woman had in mind. Why the hell would she be helping him to escape? Riddick was only curious, he didn't really care all that much he just wanted to get the hell outta those chains. Ava pulled the blindfold away, her fingers gently brushing against his stubbled scalp. Riddick had to admit, her soft touch was enough to send a shiver through him. Placing the goggles over his head, Ava took a brief moment to admire Riddick's uncovered face before gently sliding them over his eyes. "Guess you'll have to settle for a second rate pickpocket." Ava stated calmly although her smile showed pride in her larceny skills. Riddick cocked his head slightly as he admired his pretty rescuer for the first time with unhindered vision. He let his eyes rake over her form, encompassed in her tight, leather outfit that hugged all of her curves perfectly. His tongue slithered across his parched lips as he imagined what this fetching creature would look like with a little less clothing. Riddick arrested the movement quickly, secretly hoping the young woman hadn't noticed. He didn't want to seem like a total pervert, after all.

Ava could feel his eyes on her, taking in every inch of her even from behind the dark goggles. She swallowed hard, suddenly feeling very warm; something that had little to do with the desert temperatures. Ava cleared her throat and hoped her next words wouldn't come out too strained and give away how Riddick's intense gaze made her insides churn. "I'm gonna get these shackles off. You shouldn't stay around here but don't run off too far. I'd like to be able to find you again." Ava murmured, trying to keep her voice low should anyone come passing by. "Maybe I'll find you instead." Riddick's rich voice poured over her like honey, sending a pleasurable shiver down Ava's spine. "Works for me." She smirked, suddenly regaining her composure and cocky attitude. Ava was about to stand and get a better vantage on the shackles when Riddick spoke again. "Why are you doing this? You don't owe me anything. I was close enough and, contrary to popular belief, I'm not asshole enough to watch someone die." Riddick's inquiry intrigued Ava, who figured he'd simply be grateful to get outta handcuffs and go on his merry way. Ava knew she couldn't tell him the truth, not yet, but she had to feed him something that would pass for an answer. "I know what fate is in store for you and, contrary to popular belief, no one deserves that not even someone like you. Personally, I don't care what your crimes are, what you may or may not have done. You're just a human being, plain and simple." Ava gave the best explanation she could although, for the most part, everything she said was true. Riddick may have been a mass murderer as his file claimed, but he was still, essentially, human. Given his actions during the crash, Ava was forced to reassess her previous opinion of him. This man, whom many considered a violent criminal, an animal in human skin, had selflessly used his own body to shield her during the crash after pulling the heavy tube off of her body. Somehow, Ava began to see the lies that were interwoven within the files she had studied on Richard B. Riddick.

As if she could sense it in the air, something cold descended on Ava and she was alerted to danger as Riddick stiffened and let loose a menacing growl. Although his eyes were covered by the darkened goggles, Ava could tell he was looking at something behind her. The scent of gun oil and bad aftershave met her nose and Ava instantly reached for the blade she kept tucked in her boot. Her hand rested there for a moment, tensing around the intricately carved handle. Ava smirked slightly, winking at Riddick, as her ears strained to assess the distance of the figure approaching her from behind. With inhuman speed, Ava pulled the off-white colored blade from her boot and held it out behind her, only centimeters from the wanna-be merc's genitals. "Take one more step and you're gonna walk away a eunuch." Ava glanced slowly over her shoulder toward Johns who held his shotgun at her head. Behind her, Riddick had all he could do not to chuckle at Ava's entertaining threat. With a slow, deliberate movement Ava rose to her full height; her leather pants creaking slightly. Ava's blade never left it's position as she cocked her head at Johns, clearly unphased by the gun barrel only inches from her face. "What is it you think you're doing?" Johns drawled as he kept his gun trained on the female threat. Ava let a smile touch her lips, her body remaining completely relaxed despite her precarious position. "Looks like I'm releasing your….prisoner." Ava put more emphasis on the last word indicating it may not be a completely accurate euphemism. "You could save me the trouble of picking the locks and just give me the keys. Unless you'd like me to pry them off of your corpse." Johns would have howled with laughter if the woman hadn't seemed so serious. Wisely Johns took a step back, but his weapon never left it's position, aimed directly at Ava's face. Behind her, Riddick strained against his restraints, growing increasingly concerned about the standoff only inches away from him. "I advise you step away now, little girl, before I'm forced to rearrange that pretty face of yours." Johns sneered, knowing he had the upper hand. Ava knew how to pick her battles. Although she could easily disarm him if necessary, she didn't relish the idea of being shot or the possibility that Riddick may be struck by the bullet in her stead. Still smirking with overconfidence, Ava lowered her blade and stepped out of range of the merc's gun. She turned briefly to Riddick, who growled his displeasure at Johns. "I'll see you later." Ava purred as she stepped out into the blazing sunlight of the desert planet.

Cursing inwardly at herself and Johns, Ava leaned against the wrecked ship desperately trying to formulate a new plan to rescue her would-be charge. Riddick, she knew, was a very capable man. He'd escaped more slams than one could count on two hands and, judging from what she'd read in his files, he was exceptionally intelligent; not to mention an adept survivor. Perhaps, she hoped, relieving him of the bit and blindfold would make his escape a little easier. The bad news was that now Johns would be suspicious of her and probably make her life a living hell. The option of killing him seemed more appealing than ever, bur she couldn't risk the murder being blamed on Riddick or herself….yet. Soft voices filtered to her ears from another section of the wreckage and she saw the remaining survivors huddled around the Australian woman who was making breathing apparatuses to make everyone more comfortable in the low oxygen environment. Ava strode over slowly, hoping to blend in amongst them and avoid Johns accusatory glances. "Here, you'll probably need this." Shazza held out the apparatus to Ava who declined it with a wave of her hand. "Thanks but I've been to plenty of planets with low oxygen. My body adjusted, I'm breathing just fine." Ava, whom everyone believed was Tammy, smiled softly at what was really a kind gesture. Truthfully, Ava didn't need it at all. She hadn't even noticed the low oxygen levels due to the fact that her blood vessels were slightly larger and carried more oxygen throughout her body if needed. Score one to Bishop for tossing in that little detail into her design. Ava was, literally, built to survive.

The other Australian, Shazza's husband Zeke, had gone deeper into the wreckage to search for tools or supplies they could use. The party of survivors spent so much time arguing with one another over their next course of action they hadn't noticed the man had been missing for over an hour. Ava had considered going to search for him herself, although he seemed a capable sort, but the notion was cut off as he emerged from the wreckage with an armload of tools that included a pickaxe and shovel to bury the dead. The tools clattered from his hand as he bent over and entered into a body wracking coughing fit. Shazza moved instantly to his side until it ceased and the gruff looking man blamed it on dehydration. The search for water had become a priority, but for some reason the group had lingered longer than necessary. "From what I can tell there's no water here." Fry stated, glancing around at their desert environment. "There is always water. It only waits to be found. Allah will provide the way." The dark skinned holy man stated as he clutched the shoulder of one of his three charges. The boy smiled wistfully although Ava had already gleaned that none of the three boys spoke any English. She guessed it was lucky that Imam was there to translate.

The weasely little antiques dealer had offered some of his private stash until water could be found. Ava only rolled her eyes, alcohol was the worst thing to be drinking in the desert heat. Although she was in no danger of dehydrating anytime soon, Ava had begun to worry about the other survivors. She hoped they would find water soon, especially for the children. "This is all you have?" Fry asked Paris incredulously as she pulled a glass bottle from the coffin in which it was contained. He seemed to scoff at the tone of her voice. "That's from my private collection! I'm gonna need a receipt for that." Paris answered, his haughty tone thick with petulance. Fry glanced up at Imam who stood in the doorway above the bent and slightly dangerous steps. "I don't suppose this does you any good." She stated, apparently knowing something of Muslim tradition. Imam shook his head. "Alas, it is forbidden, especially while on Harch." Fry stood slowly, the bottle still clasped in her hand. "You realize we may not find any water." She stated as if trying to alter his religious sensibilities. "Allah will provide." Imam answered, truly confident in his God.

A group comprised of Fry, Johns, Imam and his three charges were preparing to start their search for water when the merc charged out of the ship, screaming a stream of obscenities. Ava smirked knowing the only cause for such anger could have been Riddick's escape. She buried the half cocked smile as Johns came barreling after her, his blue eyes flaring with rage. "What the fuck did you do!? I'm gonna choke the life out of you, little bitch!" Johns roared as he charged Ava, pinning her against the wall of the ship, his large hand wrapped around her throat. His face was only inches from hers as he held her fast against the hard metal of the vessel. Ava dangled helplessly a foot off of the ground as Shazza and Zeke tried desperately to pry his hand off of her throat. "Get off of her! Let go you sick son-of-a-bitch!" Shazza screamed, her fingers working helplessly against the strength of the merc's hand. Ava felt her air supply being choked off and decided it was time to react, undercover identity be damned. With unnatural speed, Ava's knee made contact with his groin, causing his grip on her to instantly grow limp. Ava wrapped her legs tightly around his torso and pushed away from the wall with her hands, pitching them both forward until she was on top of him straddling his chest. Ava's dagger came free of her boot so quickly it was only a blur of movement and came to rest at Johns' throat. "You wanna try that again." Ava purred, lingering only inches from Johns' face. Johns' eyes widened as the alighted on Ava's fury riddled face, his body stilling instantly as he felt the sharp blade kiss his throat. No answer at all was good enough for her and Ava quickly leapt free of the merc, giving him the chance to scramble away. Embarrassed and infuriated, Johns' brushed the sand from his dark uniform, glaring at the young woman who had just put him on the ground with a dagger at his throat in mere seconds. "If I find out you had anything to do with him getting away, I'll use your guts to tie him up when I catch him." Johns growled before stomping away to try and salvage what remained of his injured pride.

Ava returned the knife to her boot, brushing a few grains of sand from her knees. "What was that all about?" Shazza wondered aloud as she watched the blonde haired insane asylum strut away. "He thinks I had something to do with Riddick escaping." Ava stated nonchalantly as all faces immediately turned to her. "He escaped!" Zeke stuttered nervously, instantly looking around as if the convict would appear at any moment. Shrugging her shoulders, Ava glanced at the nervous faces around her. "I wouldn't be too worried. He's not exactly gonna stick around here and he's gotta survive just like us." The looks on the faces of those around her told Ava that they were less than convinced. They had to contend with the searing heat, lack of food and water as well as the new threat of the dangerous criminal that was loose somewhere on the planet. The odds were stacking against them.

**Chapter Three: A Field of Bones**

The group began to head out on their search for water and Ava promptly invited herself to go along. Johns' infuriated gaze rarely left her and he openly voiced his displeasure that she was coming along. "She's dangerous and I, for one, don't trust her. She fucking tried to knife me!" Johns screamed at Fry who stood stoically before him, apparently unphased by his outburst. "She only tried to knife you after you threw her against a wall and tried to choke her to death!" Fry retorted without a second thought. "If anyone shouldn't be going, it's you!" Johns snarled and let loose a string of cuss words directed, supposedly, at the world at large. "I'm only going to make sure you all come back alive. Riddick's out there somewhere and you'd be walking into his domain without anyone to defend you." Johns attempted to make his case. It was clear by the look on Fry's face she wasn't as convinced as the merc thought she should be. She chanced a glance at Ava who remained passive and indifferent to the argument going on at her expense. "She has a weapon and is clearly adept. Tell me, again, why we need you!?" Fry's argument was pointedly valid and Ava had to prevent herself from chuckling at the look of disgust on Johns' face. This was far more entertaining that she thought it would be. _Just wait until they find out who he truly is. _The thought ghosted through her mind, giving Ava a wide grin. That was one unveiling that she was itching to reveal. If only the survivors knew that the nickel-slick badge and boyish charm that Johns' sported was a cover for the fact that he was employed by a company that could go down in history as the greatest purveyor of crimes against humanity. The fact that he was a hype only served as an added bonus. "What the fuck are you grinnin' at?!" Johns growled in her direction. Ava's face returned to one of passive indifference. "The way I see it, you're not the one who makes the decisions here…she is." Ava used her thumb to indicate the docking pilot standing to her right. "She's in charge, if she says I can go, then I can go." Ava turned toward the blonde haired woman who simply nodded and called for the group to get a move on.

The blazing heat of the three suns was beating down on the desert sand and had begun to make their trek to find water more than a trial. Ava hung back, keeping as far away from the shot gun toting Johns' as was possible without seeming suspicious. Although, at this point, there was little she could do in his eyes to not seem suspicious. Johns paused beside a rocky mound, listening intently for any signs of a possible attack. Ava rolled her eyes at his overly cautious attitude and slowly crept up behind him. Ava was utterly silent and could sneak up with ease on almost anybody. The only others that had similar traits were her sisters. She had often used the skill to frighten the ever living daylights out of Michael just to see him jump and squirm. She would have thought after a few dozen times he would have learned to listen better. Ava stood only inches from Johns' back, thinking how easy it would be to simply jab the blade of her knife into his back and leave him to bleed to death in the sand. Johns spun around suddenly, aiming his gun barrel directly at Ava, who showed no sign of fear. A slow smirk crept across her face as she realized she'd gotten the better of him again. Johns' furrowed his brow, keeping his weapon trained on her and awaiting the attack he assumed was coming. "Boo." Ava stated nonchalantly, her brown eyes glaring venomously at him. Slowly Johns lowered the gun but his expression remained unchanged. "One of these times my finger's gonna slip." Johns threatened, his mouth twisting into an angry grimace. "Doubt that." Ava purred as she stepped around him and walked toward the rest of the group, allowing her hips to sway in a teasing seduction.

The trees they had spotted from a distance turned out to be crests that had once rested on the bones of massive beasts that had, at one time, roamed the desert. They were stripped bear of their flesh, their remains allowed to bleach in the unforgiving sun. The goliaths before them were scattered across the landscape, remnants of lives that were now extinguished forever in a mass extinction perhaps decades or even centuries old. The group took the time to pause and rest a moment before continuing their journey, lounging amongst the enormous skeletons that offered the relief of shade amidst the memory of death. Ava's hand slid carefully along the towering ribs of the hulking brute, her fingers finding traces of deep gouges that could only be made from razor sharp teeth. _Something killed these giants, something deadly. Wonder where your death bringers went. _Ava mused to herself, resting her cheek against the cool hardness of the bones. The soft sound behind her did not escape Ava's inhuman ears and she turned slowly toward the curious face of the escaped convict. "Told you I'd find you first." He stated, wearing an amused grin. Ava pulled herself away from the oversized rib bone and strolled confidently toward him. Without the chains, Riddick was more impressive than she believed possible. "So you did." She stated nonchalantly. Riddick's hand tensed around his newly made bone shiv, wondering if he should consider the young woman a threat. She had tried to free him, but Riddick hadn't assessed friend or foe. He was also keenly aware of the blade she carried and her skill with it. From what Riddick had seen so far, that skill nearly mirrored his own.

Ava let her eyes travel over the length of him, studying him in much the same manner as he had done only moments before. Two beasts, sizing one another up. Her eyes lit on his shiv and she quirked a brow. "Nice knife. You're resourceful." She quipped, her cool demeanor remaining unchanged. Riddick raised his chin slightly, sniffing the air and catching her scent again. The intoxicating aroma made the beast within him growl and claw for release. His muscles tensed momentarily as Riddick pushed the hammering voice in the back of his head that wanted to get to know this mysterious woman much more intimately. The blade still in his hand, Riddick pursued Ava, a slow determined stride that brought him only inches from the alluring woman. Slowly, Riddick's hands came up on either side of her head and braced against the wall of bones behind her allowing him to lean in uncomfortably close. "Gettin' a little friendly, aren't we?" Ava purred in his ear, starting to feel uneasy with their close proximity. Ava felt along the wall of bone behind her, gripping tightly to avoid acting on the impulses warring in her mind. One wanted to push him away and draw out her blade the other wanted to pull him closer. In an animalistic fashion, Riddick leaned against the nape of her neck, inhaling her scent deeply and letting it roll over his senses. She still smelled of sweat and traces of gun oil, but there was something else hidden deeper underneath. A hint of spice and vanilla along with something different….primal, but different. A growl resonated through Riddick's chest sending a shiver down Ava's spine. "Been a long time since I smelled beautiful." Riddick rumbled in her ear, his breath warm on her neck as he took another drought of her scent. Struggling with what his senses told him, Riddick desperately tried to place the origin of the scent that rolled off of her. He pulled back slowly, lifting his goggles from his shined eyes and cocking his head in a quizzical fashion. Ava's eyes went wide at the sight of his mercury orbs, seeing them in he flesh was so much more invigorating than what she had seen in his files. A smile played across her lips as she gazed into the silver pools that held her mesmerized. "Interesting." She stated, allowing her to easily hide her fascination with his eyes. Riddick leaned in closely, only inches from her face. "Who are you? WHAT…are you?" It wasn't often that Riddick found himself irritatingly at odds with his own senses. He was a beast of instinct; obeying, above all else, the laws of his primal side. Something about this woman didn't add up, all he did know was she wasn't, exactly, human. The grin Ava wore grew a little wider as she uttered her response. "Something else."

Voices and approaching footsteps caught their attention and Riddick spun quickly on his heels placing himself between Ava and the danger looming nearby. The motion didn't go unnoticed as Ava quietly rolled her eyes at the meaningless gesture. At the very least, Ava considered herself Riddick's equal although his sudden protectiveness was slightly endearing. Johns and Carolyn spoke in confidence, unaware that Riddick and Ava were lurking in the shadows behind them. The bottle of liquor dangled between them as Johns held it out as an offering to the blonde docking pilot. "Shouldn't do this…dehydrates you more." Fry mentioned as she took a long pull off of the bottle. Johns leaned nonchalantly against the bones behind him, smirking at the blonde as she downed another gulp. "Never seen a captain so eager to leave her ship." He stated as he took the bottle back from her and placed it against his lips. Riddick crept closer to the pair, his bone shiv held out before him in a menacing gesture. For the briefest of moments, Ava hoped he'd jab it through Johns' throat and save her the trouble. The muscular convict paused as the conversation suddenly turned more interesting. "What did Owens mean about not touching the handle?" Johns asked, his face awash with feigned concern. Carolyn remained silent, unaware of the convict only inches behind her, his shiv close enough to cut through her flesh if either of them were to move quickly. "This is between you and me Carolyn, I promise." Johns continued, hoping to coax an answer from the woman. The gentle and presumably caring nature Johns tried to weave into his voice nearly made Ava gag. _Is this fucker serious!? _Ava thought to herself as she cautiously inched closer to the pair. Carolyn sighed audibly, forcing the answer through her throat that still burned a little from the alcohol. "During the landing when things were at their worst….Owens was at his best. He's the one that stopped the docking pilot from dumping the main cabin….the passengers." Riddick cocked his head slightly, suddenly finding the petite blonde a little more interesting. She'd murder forty innocent people to save her own ass. Carefully, Riddick sliced off a small portion of Fry's hair, silently lifting it to his nose to familiarize himself with her scent. Johns' voice broke the comforting silence that had descended on them. "And the docking pilot being….?" Carolyn glance at him, her facing giving him all of the answers he needed. Johns chuckled lightly. "I guess I'm a little more glad to be here than I thought."

The merc and docking pilot pulled away from the bones and began looking for the rest of the group to continue the journey for water. Riddick let the lock of blonde hair fall from his fingers to drift away on the hot wind that danced across the deserted surface. "Well, that's good to know." Ava whispered, just in case Fry or Johns were still close enough to hear. Riddick turned his piercing gaze toward her, a slight smile touching his lips. Riddick's face was unreadable but it seemed he was judging Ava's reaction to the news that Fry had been willing to sacrifice them all. "I've been in similar situations myself. I've seen a lot of people I would consider friends die, sometimes by my hand to save them from a worse fate." Ava mentioned coolly, forcing back the lump emerging in her throat. The images of those she'd lost in the war against Weyland-Yutani and the Xenomorph menace flooded her mind. Some had been close friends, some she barely knew and a few had been her sisters. For a brief moment, a frown appeared on Riddick's face as he watched the momentary sorrow flood Ava's features. For some reason, the unhappy look on her face bothered him. In the distance, Ava could hear the cries of Fry as she called "Tammy." repeatedly. "I better go before fuck head comes looking for me." Ava whispered as she began to make her way through the broken shadows and sunlight that slanted through the bones. "Do me a favor." Riddick called after her and Ava paused briefly and turned her head over her shoulder, eyeing him from the corner of her eye. "Stay alive." The words were simple as was the command, but Ava sensed a hidden meaning behind them. A smirk spread across her features, brightening her dark eyes a little. "It's what I do." She stated assuredly as she disappeared from his view.

**Chapter Four: Mysterious Deaths**

Paris had seated himself atop one of the fallen crates, an umbrella keeping the searing sun from his flesh while he sipped idly at a bottle of wine. He tried desperately to clear the soreness from his throat but the stinging beverage seemed to only exasperate the irritation further. "Comfy up there?" Zeke called to him sarcastically as he dragged a sled to carry the bodies for burial. "It's amazing that you can do without the necessities of life so long as you have the little luxuries." Paris answered, taking a pull from his cigar. Zeke made a disgusted noise as he proceeded walking. "Just keep your eyes peeled, I don't want that dog sneaking up my ass!" Zeke grumbled, hoping it was loud enough for the oblivious Brit to hear. Paris continued lounging comfortably, making it at least seem as if he was paying attention. Paris nearly jumped out of his skin as Jack approached from behind, holding a bladed weapon at his throat. "He'll probably get you right hear, under the chin and you wouldn't even know it! That's how good Riddick is!" Paris pulled the weapon away from his throat, hoping to yank it from the youth's hand. "Did you run away from your parents or did your parents run away from you?" Paris asked as he heard the boy leap from the top of the structure to the ground below. The antiques dealer only grunted in exasperation, feeling too under the weather to actually care enough to pursue the boy.

Dozing beneath the sun and ignoring his duties as watchdog, Paris was suddenly brought back to reality by a soft scraping sound. He sat up quickly, glancing around for any sign of the dangerous convict. He heard the sound again, somewhat closer. Leaping from his perch, Paris rushed toward the wreckage that he knew Shazza had been working in earlier. "Tell me that was you just now!" Paris cried as Shazza and Jack stared at him as if he'd grown a second head suddenly. "What are you going on about? He's been in here helping me." Shazza stated as she narrowed her gaze at the fidgety man whom she assumed was probably drunk. "You didn't hear that sound?" He inquired, just as another thud caught their attention. Shazza quietly turned off the cutting torch, laying gently on the ground and retrieving the ancient weapon Paris had provided earlier for their protection from Riddick. Outside, a figure stumbled through the sand, casting eerie shadows that the inhabitants inside could see. "Riddick!" Jack mouthed silently, her hero worship suddenly turning into fear. Shazza held the weapon against her shoulder, her hands gripping the handle tightly as she crept toward the open door to await the emergence of the killer they all feared. An older gentleman in tattered clothing stumbled toward her, clutching his body tightly and gasping for breath. "Help me, please! It's tearing me up inside! Help me!" The man stumbled forward as Shazza dropped the weapon in shock and began to reach out for him. It was clear to her that the man was in great pain. He must've been a survivor from another part of the ship and could have been badly injured in the crash. Two gunshots rang out, splattering Shazza's face with blood and gore as the man slumped over at her feet. Behind him, Zeke stood with his gun aimed in their direction. "It was just another survivor from the crash!" Jack cried out, held tightly by Paris in his desperate attempt at protecting the boy. "Crikey, I thought it was him! I thought it was Riddick!" Zeke stated as he pushed the gun into his belt. Their fear of the convict was beginning to make them all paranoid and now an innocent person had been murdered. Not that it really mattered, he was moments away from death anyway. "What the hell is that!?" Paris muttered, pointing toward the body of the fallen man that had begun to shift of it's own accord. "There's no way he's still alive!" Jack said incredulously. The man's shirt began pulling away from his body as if something were poking it's way through. With a sudden burst of gore and viscera, something burst through his chest, emitting a high pitched scream through it's unnatural looking mouth. "Fuck me!" Shazza stated as she backed away from the emerging creature, forcing Paris and Jack further into the wreckage. The creature scrambled it's way from the man's body and rushed off across the sand with an incredible burst of speed. Zeke stood rooted in place as he watched the thing disappear behind the wreckage, trembling at the unnatural event that occurred before them. "What the hell was that! No one's gonna believe…." Zeke was cut off by Paris who voiced his own opinion on the matter. "We don't tell anybody. You don't want anyone to know you killed an innocent man and no one's gonna believe that some….thing came out of his body. Whatever it was it's small and I hardly think it's a real danger. Probably long gone now anyway." Surprisingly, everyone else had decided to agree with the mousy little man.

Zeke piled the newest corpse atop the two others that had been found in part of the wreckage. He towed the sled toward the hold he had begun digging earlier, taking deep puffs off of his breather. He leapt into the hole, pickaxe in hand, pausing as he curiously observed a small tunnel he hadn't noticed before. Silently he wondered what lie beneath his feet and if he had to worry about creating a sink hole. A rustling sound drew his attention and Zeke pulled a small flashlight from his pocket and shined it inside the darkened hole. The tunnel was small and Zeke was forced to crawl closer and pull some of the earth away with his hand to get a better view of what might be inside. Something moved quickly within the shaft, and Zeke cautiously pulled the pistol from his belt until he had assessed the danger. Something darted out of the darkness, grabbing a hold of Zeke's arm and pulling him inside. He screamed and struggled against his captors, firing wild shots with the pistol that echoed across the surface of the desert.

The agonizing screams filtered to Shazza's ears, instantly alerting her to Zeke's desperate plight. She made a mad dash across the desert toward the burial plot hoping above hope she wasn't too late. A sickening sight met he eyes as she glanced down into the hole, now coated with blood that dripped slowly onto the ground. Glancing up, Shazza met the goggled gaze of Riddick, who crouched above the cave with his bone shiv in his hand. Riddick rose slowly, his eyes never leaving the accusatory gaze of Shazza who believed he was the cause of her husband's demise. Turning tail, Riddick dashed across the surface of the planet, weaving between the pillars of earth that rose like giant termite mounds. He wanted to put some distance between himself and the scene of Zeke's death, hoping to find a good hiding place before the Merc came running. His escape was brought to a halt as Johns tackled him to the ground, pulling away his protective goggles and leaving Riddick blinded by the bright rays of the suns that floated overhead. He landed a series of punches to Riddick's face, prompting the convict to cover himself in an attempt to protect himself from the blows. Ava had seen enough and lunged at the merc, pinning him to the ground. Johns reacted almost instantly, tossing Ava away like a rag doll. She landed a few feet away in a crouching position, glaring darkly at the blonde haired man. A hiss issued from her lips, making Ava suddenly seem more animalistic than ever. "Stay outta this you crazy bitch!" Johns growled as he scrambled for his shotgun just in time to see Shazza kicking Riddick mercilessly in the head. "What did you do to him!? What did you do to Zeke!?" She cried as he kicks kept landing on Riddick's already brutalized skull. Shazza was pulled away from him still crying out a series of obscenities. "Someone just kill him!" She ordered, finally falling to her knees and sobbing in grief.

Johns dragged the subdued convict into the wreckage of the ship and chained him securely until they had a chance to get some answers. Ava disappeared into the bowels of the ship, using the wreckage to hide her from the prying eyes of the merc who chained the subdued convict within the ship. Ava ducked low as she watched the blonde docking pilot enter, striding nervously toward the chained menace. Using her ability to remain completely silent, Ava clamored up toward the metal beams that ran the length of the roof of the vessel's structure. Bracing herself between the structures with her hands and feet, Ava made herself nearly completely invisible. The only one who wasn't convinced was Riddick, who could still smell her tantalizing scent nearby. Carolyn strode toward the restrained convict, trying to seem more confident than she actually was. "Where's the body?" Carolyn inquired, completely convinced of Riddick's guilt. She was completely oblivious to what lurked beneath their feet in darkened tunnels. Carolyn waited in silence for a few moments before sighing in disgust. "Well, do you wanna tell me about the sounds. Look, you told Johns you heard something." Carolyn paused hoping for any kind of response from the stoic man in chains. "You're not gonna answer me, fine. Just so you know there's a debate as to weather we should just leave you here to die." Carolyn turned away from the man encased in shadow, her hands flexing at her side. "You mean the whispers?" Riddick's baritone voice carried like thunder in the wreckage of the ship. "What whispers?" Fry answered, hoping to make enough sense of Riddick's psychobabble to urge forth a confession. Riddick smirked, his eyes closed against the bright light above him. "The ones telling me to go for the sweet spot just to the left of the spine, forth lumbar down: the abdominal aorta. It's a metallic taste, human blood. Copperish; but if you cut it with peppermint schnapps that goes away quick." Riddick had certainly gained the upper hand in the conversation, his devilish grin widening.

Carolyn rolled her eyes at his attempt to disgust her, or frighten her. "You wanna shock me with the truth now?" She asked, bitterly. Riddick let out a low chuckle, the kind that vibrated through his chest and sung through the air. "All you people are so scared of me. Most days I'd take that as a compliment, but it ain't me you gotta worry about." Carolyn began to creep closer to the confined man, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Show me your eyes, Riddick." Carolyn ordered, the pitch of her voice unsteady. Riddick smiled at the chance to play a little game with the slender docking pilot. "You'd have to come a lot closer than that." Riddick urged, his voice almost a purr. Slowly, Carolyn crept forward, her eyes never leaving the muscular man before her. Although chained, he was still menacing, his muscles taught and ready for action. "Closer…" Riddick urged as the woman wiped her sweaty palms on her tight fitting pants. There was a sound of chains against metal as Riddick lunged at the woman as far as the restraints would allow. His silver orbs met the shocked gaze of Carolyn Fry. "Where the hell can I get eyes like that?!" Another voice had joined the conversation, higher pitched and more youthful. Ava considered it must've been the boy, Jack. Riddick glanced at the youth, a sparkle of playfulness in his eyes. "You gotta kill a few people." Riddick responded, turning his gaze back toward Carolyn. "Kay, I can do that." Jack answered excitedly. Riddick wasn't nearly finished with either of them. "Then you gotta get sent to a slam. One where they tell ya you'll never see daylight again. You pick up a doctor and pay him twenty menthol Kools to do a surgical shine job on your eyes." Riddick glanced toward the kid, to see if he was still there. "So you can see who's sneakin' up on you in the dark." Jack responded with no less excitement. "Exactly." Riddick responded, smirking at the smitten child. Carolyn took a cautious step forward. "Leave!" she ordered the boy, who bore a hurt look as he ascended the steps to the level above. "Cute kid." Riddick responded, watching as the boy disappeared from view. He'd have to remember to keep an eye on the kid.

Ava listened intently as Carolyn's footsteps receded. With the silence of a pouncing feline, Ava let herself fall to the floor below as she flexed her aching hands. She wove her way through the wreckage, appearing in Riddick's line of sight in only a matter of seconds. If it hadn't been for his enhanced sense of smell, Riddick wouldn't have even known she was there. Ava cocked her head at him, studying the restraints more than the man held within them. "I'm startin' to think you're stalkin' me." Riddick's deep voice broke the permeating silence. Ava coolly shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe." She answered with her usual air of confidence. Riddick chuckled, sending his entire body shaking. "You're a little obsessed. What? Did I kill one of your family members or something?" Riddick inquired, wondering why on this god forsaken hell hole this woman was so interested in him. Ava smirked at his question, if only he knew. "Strictly speaking, I don't have any family members. Not in the biological sense." Riddick rolled his eyes figuring he was going to hear some sob story about her parents being slaughtered and growing up an orphan. Boo hoo! His life was no picnic either. Riddick sneered at her and turned away to settle himself back in an attempt to make his position slightly more comfortable. Ava sauntered toward him, her hips swaying seductively as she moved with lithe and fluid motions. Everything about her was like an erotic dance, and even though he didn't want to Riddick found his gaze constantly drawn toward her.

She stood only inches from him, gazing at him speculatively as if studying everything about him. Riddick caught her intoxicating scent again as it wafted over him sending jolts of white fire throughout his body. His muscles tensed as she drew closer, her eyes closed and obviously scenting him as well. Riddick's beast growled within him, sparked to life by the alluring woman who was so much like him. Her scent was driving him crazy, mostly because he couldn't place it and Riddick didn't like unfamiliarity. The other reason was the way his beast was reacting to her. It saw the fetching creature as a kindred spirit, a wild thing not unlike itself; it also sensed it's mate. "You don't smell exactly….human." Riddick rumbled keeping his voice low due to their close confines. Ava smirked at his comment. _So…he caught me. _Ava took a step back, despite the protests of her own body that wanted to lean against him until his scent blanketed her completely. "Not exactly, no." Ava responded. There was no sense in keeping up the pretense any longer. Soon she was going to have to reveal Johns for what he really was, she may as well come clean too. Riddick cocked his head, his predatory gaze fixed on the woman in front of him. "Care to tell me exactly WHAT you are?" Riddick's voice rumbled across the distance between them, vibrating through Ava's entire body. Her primal side was beginning to react to him as well. Ava shook the odd feeling away, regaining her composure instantly. "I'm genetically engineered from four hundred year old DNA. I was created, grown and born, if you'd call it that, in a lab. I had no mother and no father. At least not in the sense of the sperm donor type. I consider the man who created me my father." Ava explained as briefly as possible, not wishing to get into the gory details. That could wait for later.

Riddick leaned back against the wall of the vessel and let out a gust of roaring laughter. Ava was less than amused by his reaction, although she supposed it would have been better than utter disgust. "Figures." Riddick breathed out as his gale of laughter finally came to an end. "You're a test tube baby." Riddick's words stung her. Ava couldn't even remember the last time her feelings had been hurt. She crossed her arms across her chest, hiding the view Riddick was enjoying of her pert breasts. "Actually, I'm a weapon." Ava chimed up, her voice laced with acid. Riddick realized he had hurt her feelings and for some reason experienced a pang of regret. He forced the unfamiliar feeling back down the depths from whence it came. He didn't like it one bit. Ava could feel a shift in the rumblings beneath her feet. Something was happening underground and it gave her an unsettling feeling. It was no coincidence that Riddick seemed to sense it too. "I've gotta go." Ava's entire body tensed sending unintentional signals to Riddick's oversensitive body. A low rumbling growl vibrated through his chest and the air around him. Ava turned, as calmly as she was able, and began walking away at a steady but unhurried pace. "You comin' back?" Riddick inquired, playfulness returning to his voice. Ava turned to regard him over her shoulder. "Perhaps. I am obsessed with you, remember?" Ava disappeared into the darkness, but not from Riddick's view for a few more moments. He hated to see her leave but he loved to watch her go.

**Chapter Five: Revealing The Monsters**

A crowd had gathered around the sight of Zeke's unfortunate demise, discussing angrily who should be the one to venture down into the darkness to search for Zeke's remains. Ava walked confidently toward the arguing survivors despite the uneasy feeling the gnawed at her. "We should send HER down." Johns stated, pointing in Ava's direction with a wicked smile stretching across her face. Ava knew it would be too obvious if she reached down for the knife tucked in her boot but she would gladly tear him apart limb from limb with her bare hands. Carolyn pushed him out of the way roughly and reached for the rope that the Holy Man carried in his hand. "You'd probably cut the rope with her down there. Whatever the fuck your problem is with Tammy, you better get the fuck over it!" Carolyn barked at him as she began to fasten the rope around her waist. "I'm going, argument over." She made a few adjustments to the rope, ensuring that it was secure before making her way toward the blood splattered opening. Ava watched Carolyn trepidaciously as she crawled through the small opening, the light of the flashlight giving the woman the only view of what lay before her. Ava stood only feet from the entrance as Imam and the others fed the rope through slowly. She felt a pull on the back of her mind, a familiar tendril of twisted emotion. Ava swallowed hard and pushed the feeling away, hoping for the sake of the survivors it had only been her overactive imagination.

Carolyn crawled slowly through the tunnel until she found herself within a spacious, darkened cavern. The flashlight played over the surface around her, lighting up a world that had remained shrouded in darkness since it's creation. Only broken patches of light filtered in through the holes in the mounds above. Carolyn could feel the slack of the line and carefully made her way deeper into the cavern. She followed the tell tale trail of smeared blood until she nearly tumbled over what remained of the corpse of Zeke. She nearly retched at the sight of his mangled body, covered in blood and missing at least one foot. Steadying the contents of her stomach, Carolyn forced herself to study the remains to assess if it was something that could have been done by a human….or something else. His hands and feet showed signs of having been partially devoured; with long, deep gouges running the lengths of his arms. "Claw marks?" Carolyn mumbled to herself. Shining the light over the rest of his body, the sight of the gaping hole in his chest sent her skittering backward. "Jesus fuckin' Christ! What the hell did that?!" Carolyn gasped as she suddenly shone her light in random directions in response to a skittering noise she could have sworn she heard. Scrambling to her feet, Carolyn peered around a large pillar of earth; the flashlight in her hand trembling in response to her own fear. Bodies of strange creatures littered the ground, their blue blood coating the walls of the cavern. Piles of blue and white entrails wound like grotesque snakes away from the shredded bodies of the unusual creatures. One hammer shaped head was distorted strangely as if it had been melted. "If you're the things that got Zeke, what the hell killed you?" Carolyn muttered to herself.

Fear gripped her as she cursed her decision to search for Zeke's body in an unfamiliar cave system. Especially since some of the survivors had begun to suspect that the planet may not be as uninhabited as they believed. Slowly, Carolyn began to back away from the grizzly scene, suddenly feeling she was not alone. Above her, a sleek black form gripped the ceiling of the cavern turning it's elongated head slowly to observe the invader of it's domain. It's lips quivered as it bore a row of silver teeth dripping with saliva. It moved stealthily along the ceiling and wall in pursuit of it's unlucky victim. It's claw had freed a few stones from the ceiling of the cavern alerting Carolyn to the approaching danger. Stifling a scream, Carolyn attempted to flee the way she had come but the rope had become hopelessly entangled on some rocks. Struggling against the new trap made by the rope and rocks, Carolyn glanced around frantically searching for another route to escape from. The pillar before her leaked sunlight and seemed her only option. Clamoring up the chimney-like structure, Carolyn frantically called for help hoping someone would hear and come to her rescue. Behind her, the hunter pursued her but found it's size too bulky for the tiny opening. It reached up with a razor sharp claw grasping angrily for Carolyn's leg.

The group waited impatiently outside of the small opening for Carolyn to hopefully appear. Imam had given a few cursory tugs on the rope bur had received no form of response from the other end. "She's been down there too long. What if something happened to her?" Jack chimed up nervously shifting on her feet. The rest of the survivors seemed to share in her trepidation, especially Ava. A low murmur erupted from the crowd until Imam's voice suddenly shushed them. "Quiet! Listen!" He ordered, his voice much deeper than one would have anticipated. In the distance soft cries of distress could be heard emanating from one of the tall structures surrounding the cavern. Jack took off instantly, having apparently homed in on the location of the cries. The rest of the survivors followed her toward the towering structure from which Carolyn's voice could be heard. "I'm in here!" She cried helplessly as Johns pulled the flaky earth away and reached in grasping Carolyn's hand and pulling her free of the tunnel. Carolyn distanced herself as much as possible from the tower, glad for a little more slack on the rope. "God fucking dammit! I don't know what's down there but it got Zeke and nearly got meeeeee…!" Carolyn screamed as the rope was suddenly pulled from within the cavern, yanking her back toward the opening Johns had made. "Get it off me! Get it off me!" She screamed helplessly as Johns and Imam desperately tried to free her from the grasp of whatever was within the cavern. Ava rushed toward Carolyn's aid, sliding on her hip until her feet struck the mound of earth. With a blur of motion, Ava retrieved her knife from her boot and cut the rope free of Carolyn and watching as it was swallowed up by the hole and disappeared into the darkness below. Ava scrambled to her feet and peered into the opening but saw only darkness and a blur of movement.

Carolyn, panting for breath, fell onto the dirt hoping to calm her frazzled nerves. "Thank you." She stated breathlessly to Ava who crouched before her and gave her a nodding answer as she resheathed the dagger into her boot. "Did you find anything?" Paris asked in a trembling voice. "Did you find….a body?" Carolyn took a grateful draw from the flask Paris had handed her before she answered. Clearing her throat as the liquor burned it, Carolyn recounted what she had found. "Yeah, I found his body. It looked like something had been chewing on him and I found corpses of all these strange creatures near his body. The strangest thing was the chest wound. It looked like something burst it's way through his ribcage. Out…not in." Ava's complexion suddenly grew pale as she slowly rose to her feet. _Fuck me! This cannot be happening! I'm gonna tear out the still beating heart of that nickel-slick badge havin' motherfucker! _Ava stilled the thought immediately as she glanced around only to find no sign of the wanna-be merc. She needed to find his sorry ass and get some answers. It could not have been by mere chance that Zeke had come in contact with an egg, but where in the hell would Johns have stashed them? More importantly, how many did he bring on board and why was the container never inspected? Ava knew she would garner no answers standing and playing twenty questions in her mind.

Ava had made her way back to the wreckage of the passenger cabin and carefully shifted her damaged cryotube. Peering into the shadows, Ava was relieved to find her duffel bag exactly where she'd left it but still unharmed. She had been worried it may have been crushed under the weight of the overturned cryotubes. The bag was wedged behind the pile of rubble and Ava found herself unable to reach far enough to grab a hold of the handle. She grunted with effort and frustration, quickly loosing her patience and descending into fits of cussing. "Tammy…" A soft voice called from somewhere behind her, but Ava was to distracted to notice her fake name. Ava nearly lost an arm as some of the rubble shifted, blocking any access to her duffel. "Fuck!" Ava snarled, pounding her fist through what remained of the glass of her destroyed cryotube. Pulling her barely scarred hand away, Ava heard the voice behind her. "Tammy." Ava stood quickly, coming face to face with a very frightened looking Jack. Ava sighed not only at her recent use of foul language but at the fact that she'd punched through glass right in front of the kid. "Sorry, Jack. What are you doing here? You shouldn't be on your own." Ava tried desperately to console the child who was now probably as terrified of her as the things underground. "Just wondered where you went. What are you doing in here?" Jack pressed, curious to what could be so important within the pile of twisted debris. Ava suddenly smirked as she looked the lanky boy over. "Wanna do me a favor, Jack?" Ava asked, hoping the boy would be able to retrieve the bag she so desperately needed. Jack nodded his head quickly, taking a few steps toward Ava. "My duffel is back behind those fallen tubes. I can't quite reach it, but I think you're small enough to climb over and get it for me. Can you do that?" Ava spoke reassuringly, attempting to make it sound as if Jack would be performing a great feat. In truth, he would probably be saving a lot of lives.

Jack's thin frame clamored over the fallen tubes and his long arms were able to carefully extract the bag from it's stubborn location. Luckily, during the crash, the pipe to which the bag had been fastened had come free of the wall allowing the shackles to fall free. Jack grunted with effort as he lifted the duffel over the twisted wreckage and jumped off of his precarious perch. "Gods, this thing is heavy!" Jack noted as he carefully lowered it to the ground. "Thanks a lot, Jack!" Ava breathed a sigh of relief now that she had her stash of weapons back. Quickly, Ava unzipped the bag and retrieved her two pistols that were usually strapped to her thighs. It had been decided before she boarded the ill fated Hunter-Gratzner that it would be best if she didn't walk around armed. "You have guns!" Jack breathed out, much louder than he intended. Ava glanced up, her dark eyes scolding the youth for the outburst. "Don't tell any one. It's our secret, okay?" Ava pleaded as she strapped the weapons to her thighs, finally feeling whole again. Jack nodded curtly, feeling suddenly sheepish. Ava rummaged through the bag and pulled out a box, tossing it to Jack who caught it in fumbling fingers. "For your silence." Ava winked at the youth who studied the small box with a furrowed brow. "I don't need these! I'm a boy!" Jack stuttered as the deceptively tall woman rose to full height and slung the bag over her shoulder. "I know you're not a boy and you will be needing them soon. Probably by tomorrow." Ava stated with a tone of sympathy. Jack's mouth opened and closed as if to say something, but the newly outed girl was too stunned to reply. Ava smiled kindly, she truly did like the girl. "I can smell it's almost your time. Just hide them in your pocket, I won't tell anybody. Secret for a secret." Ava placed a reassuring hand on Jack's shoulder, sensing the utter defeat in the child.

Making her way out of the wreckage, Ava heard Jack's voice call out to her again. "Tammy…" Ava recognized her false name and turned slowly. "Yeah, Jack." The girl seemed uncertain about something, shifting uneasily on her feet. Slowly she made her way toward the newly armed Ava before finally meeting her eyes. "What Carolyn said about how she found Zeke…." Jack trailed off and Ava wondered what in this deserted hell she could have to tell her. Slowly, Jack found her voice again. "There was another survivor. We thought it was Riddick and Zeke shot him. He was saying something about his chest hurting and then this….animal clawed it's way outta him and ran off across the desert." Jack paused, searching Ava's eyes for any signs that she didn't believe her. Unfortunately, Ava knew the child was telling the truth. Sighing sullenly, Ava inquired: "Are you sure that's what you saw, Jack?" The girl nodded tersely and Ava hung her head for a moment. Now she had double the problems to deal with. "Me, Shazza, Zeke and Paris all saw it. We didn't wanna tell anyone cuz we thought they'd think we were all crazy. Plus, Zeke killed an innocent man." The girl looked close to tears and Ava reached out to reassure her again. "It's okay. I'm gonna take care of this." Ava stated as she readjusted the bag and made her way out of the wreckage.

Johns stood only feet away from the restrained convict, taunting him with a promise of freedom. Ava listened quietly from the shadows, waiting for her moment to strike. The wanna-be merc wasn't going to get away with the deaths of two people. Riddick's deep voice rumbled from the shadows, sending an unwanted shiver down Ava's spine as she nestled into her hiding place. "Finally found somethin' worse than me, huh?" Ava snorted quietly. _That's the understatement of the millennium. _She mused to herself. _And that jackass brought 'em here. _Johns' chilly voice echoed from beyond the pile of wreckage. "So here's the deal: you work without chains, without bit and without shivs. You do what I say, when I say it." Ava tried to contain the bile that threatened to rise in her throat. She hoped Riddick wasn't buying any of this bullshit. "For what?!" Riddick boomed. "The honor of goin' back to some asshole of a cell. Fuck you!" Johns shifted on his feet, obviously nervous. Ava could hear the subtle motion and feel the unease that wafted off of him as it traveled through the air. Johns knew he was in trouble, as they all were, now that the creatures were loose on the planet. He was busy trying to cover his own ass. "Truth is I'm tired of chasin' you." Johns stated, his voice doing little to hide his nervousness. The chains clanked lightly as Riddick turned his full attention to the merc. "You sayin' you'd cut me loose?" He asked incredulously. Ava snickered again, under her breath. _Yeah, fat chance of that! _She knew Johns wasn't going to loose his prize. He'd feed Riddick some lie, a string of promises to be broken when he hauled him back to whatever lab he planned to take him to. "I'm thinkin' you coulda died in the crash." Johns responded, trying to seem sincere. Riddick pulled lightly on the chains for a moment, having suddenly caught Ava's familiar scent. She was very close, probably listening to the conversation. He was a little curious about what she had planned. "My recommendation: Do me. Don't take the chance that I'd get shiv happy on your wanna be ass. Ghost me, motherfucker! That's what I'd do to you." The sound of the shotgun being raised drew Ava from her hiding spot.

Completely silent, Ava approached the blonde Merc from behind, catching him off guard with her side arm pointed at the back of his head. "MY finger won't slip!" Ava ground out as the barrel of her weapon poked the back of Johns' head. The merc froze instantly although he kept his weapon trained on Riddick. "Just what the fuck do you think your gonna do, huh?!" Johns ground out through clenched teeth. With more speed than she knew he possessed, Johns spun around aiming the shotgun directly at her. Once again the pair found themselves in a standoff, only this time Ava was equally armed. Ava tilted her head slightly, giving Johns a look of passive curiosity. "You gonna shoot first, Greedo?" Ava purred in her silken, seductive voice as her dark eyes narrowed on the cold blue orbs of the shotgun brandishing merc. Behind Johns, Riddick strained against his chains again and let out a low, menacing growl. It was a warning not from himself as much as from the beast within him that saw Ava as it's mate. Ava remained statue still as she watched Johns' ears twitch at the sound behind him, giving her just enough distraction to make her move. Her feet moved slowly toward him, the pistol still trained on his face. With incredible speed, Ava's arm wrapped around the shotgun making it useless as Johns struggled to free his weapon from her grasp. Ava's leg encircled his as she twisted quickly, throwing the merc to the ground where she landed on top of him, her knee pressed against his throat. In the struggle the shotgun had gone off, firing in a random direction when Johns' hand inadvertently tensed on the trigger.

The flexible, well muscled woman held her pistol at Johns' head while she probed him for answers. "I'm gonna take my knee off your throat and you better be in a talkative mood cuz my trigger finger is starting to get a cramp." Ava growled as she slowly lifted her knee away from his throat allowing him to get a few gasps of precious air. He gasped with his eyes wide for a few moments before he began to struggle against her. Ava raised her pistol and struck him hard across the head, leaving a weeping scar above his right eye. "Don't struggle, you'll only make me have to hurt you more." Ava stated calmly, despite the fact that she had a struggling, angry merc pinned beneath her. "What in the fuck is going on in here!" Carolyn's shrill voice called out as she stormed into the wrecked ship and stopped only feet from the spot where Ava had Johns' pinned to the ground. "Tammy! What in the hell are you doing!?" Carolyn cried as Ava's dark eyes met hers with a stern warning to mind her own fucking business. "I am not who you think I am and neither is he. Are you, Company man?" Ava stated as she turned her attention back to her captive. Ava's pistol pressed hard into John's cheek, ensuring that he knew she meant business. Behind her, Ava could hear Riddick growl again as soon as she had mentioned The Company. Ava lowered her face closer to Johns', accentuating every word. "How many fucking eggs did you bring on board?!" Ava's voice was animalistic and full of venom as she pushed the barrel of her gun further into his face. Johns attempted to move but Ava had him thoroughly pinned down. "I….I don't know what you're talking about! I'm just a merc escorting a payday!" Johns' eyes had gone wide, his pupils dilating unnaturally. Ava snickered at the sight of him. "You're fucking high again. Doesn't matter. Answer the damn question or I'm gonna start blowing off your fingers." Ava stated as she grasped Johns' hand and placed the barrel of her gun against one of his trembling digits.

Johns' struggled for words, settling for muted squeaks coming from his constricting throat. "One…" Ava began to count. "Two…." She pressed the gun more firmly against his finger for emphasis. "Three…." Slowly, Ava began to press back on the trigger as Johns suddenly cried out in strained panic. "Two! I only brought two." He breathed out at last, his entire body trembling and Ava was certain she had caught the distinctive scent of urine. Ava lifted her pistol away from his finger, but continued to hold the hand in place just the same. "You stupid son-of-a-bitch. How'd you get 'em passed security. Actually, I don't really wanna know. It doesn't matter now anyhow. They're loose and we're fucked. I oughtta throw you down that hole myself." Ava relaxed a little, rocking back on her heels but still keeping Johns' pinned beneath her. If he even considered moving she would gladly shoot him. "Now, why don't you tell your friend Riddick over there what you really had intended for him." Ava purred as she heard the chains clang lightly with the shifting of Riddick's weight. She had his full attention now. Johns' terrified gaze shifted from the woman restraining him toward the muscular convict behind her. Riddick's eyes narrowed at his captor who was now, seemingly, in much the same position. "What's she talkin' about, _JOHNS!" _Riddick's voice came out as a low snarl as his fixed his darkening gaze on the merc. Once again it seemed that Johns had lost his voice, muttering nothing and seeming to struggle to form simple words. Ava lowered herself toward his face again, fixing one hand around his throat while her pistol pressed against his temple. "What lab are ya takin' him to, huh? JPG, Korari, Gedda outpost? I hope you weren't plannin' on takin' him to BG-386, cuz I kinda blew that one up." Ava lifted herself away from Johns, squeezing her hand tightly around his throat causing him to protest with his widening eyes as he struggled for breath. "That's enough!" Carolyn cried, only feet from the distressing scene. "Let him go! Now!" Ava knew she wasn't going to get anything out of him and reluctantly rose to her feet, freeing her captive. "Who the hell are you!?" Johns rasped out as he rubbed his raw and aching throat. Ava glanced down at him, a smirk on her face. "My name is Ava….but _YOU _can call me Ripley."

Johns scrambled away from Ava, who promptly removed his shotgun from within his reach. He laughed coldly at Ava's confession of her name. "Still goin' on about some bitch who died hundreds of yeas ago like she's some kinda saint or somethin'!" Carolyn glanced between the three, the chained convict, the pistol wielding woman and the now disgraced mercenary. "I want some fucking answers right now!" Carolyn barked, rage flickering in her grey eyes. "I wanna know who the fuck you people are, why YOU had him pinned to the ground and why people around here are dying with huge fuckin' holes in their chests!" Johns had finally rose to his feet, looking for a moment as if he was about to flee but a flick of Ava's pistol gave him pause. Ava glanced at Carolyn for a moment, noting the righteous fury in the woman's eyes. Pointing her pistol at Johns she gave Carolyn the unfortunate answers she wanted. "This sorry son-of-a-bitch isn't a merc as he claims to be. He used to be a Company soldier, a sergeant, until his little drug problem got in the way." Ava paused briefly as she glared at him. "How many men died under your command that night? Sixty, seventy? You were too fuckin' hyped up on morphine to even give proper orders!" Johns made a low sound in his throat but no words found their way passed his lips. "He works for a corporation called Weyland-Yutani." Ava continued. "His job was to capture and transport the escaped convict Riddick to a research facility owned by said corporation to ultimately become a host for a Xenomorph. The same things that killed Zeke and that other survivor." Ava explained as best she could, passing a glance toward Riddick that reflected something akin to sympathy. Riddick strained against his chains again, roaring in anger at his blonde captor. "You were sending me to my death!? I oughtta ghost you, mother fucker!" Ava gave Riddick a wry smile. "You won't have to. I have a mind to feed him to the Xenos myself." Ava's dark glare met Johns' terrified gaze.

The blonde docking pilot crossed her arms across her chest and stepped a few feet forward, feeling that most of the hostility of the situation had dissipated. "What the hell's a Xeno…whatever it was and who the fuck are you?" Carolyn growled out, making sure to put plenty of emphasis on just how angry she was. Ava caught the woman's gaze again, her eyes softening a little. "A Xenomorph is an invasive alien species discovered over four hundred years ago by an M-Class star freighter called the USCSS Nostromo that had interrupted a distress signal from the small moon LV-426. The vessel happened to be owned by Weyland Industries and it was later discovered they had been intentionally sent there to retrieve one of these things when a crew member became infected. The resulting Xenomorph killed everyone but the Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley in a matter of hours. They are an endoparasitoid extraterrestrial species that are hard as shit to kill, are extremely intelligent and have acid for blood. And this asshole brought them with him." Ava pointed her pistol toward Johns who desperately attempted to sink back into the shadows. Carolyn closed in on him, her brow furrowed in rage. With all the power she had in her, Carolyn struck Johns across the face sending it sideways as blood poured from his injured mouth. "You brought a fucking alien species on my fucking ship! You God Damn cocksucker!" Carolyn roared, threatening to strike him again. Carolyn was panting now, taking in struggling breaths brought on by the low oxygen level of the planet and her own rage. She took a long pull off of her breather before turning her attention toward Ava. "This doesn't tell me who you are and what you were doing on this ship." Ava smiled knowingly, glancing toward Riddick who already had some idea of who, and what, she was. "My real name is Ava Ripley. I am a genetically enhanced human created from the same genetic material collected from the REAL Ellen Ripley before her death four hundred years ago on Fiorina 161, the same material used to create her clones two hundred years ago when they extracted the queen embryo she had been carrying when she….sacrificed herself. I'm not a clone, but I do share some of her memories….and a few other things. I was created to fight the very things that Johns brought with him. I work for the Underground who've been making things for Weyland-Yutani very difficult for nearly eighty years. I boarded the Hunter-Gratzner undercover to rescue this bundle of muscles behind me." Carolyn let her eyes slowly descend the length of Ava's form. It was hard for her to believe that this young woman had been created in a lab. Beside her Johns let out another bout of laughter. "Fuckin' Underground bitch! I shoulda known." Without prompting, Carolyn reached out and struck Johns across the face again.

Riddick let out a low chuckle behind Ava. "You were sent to rescue me?! That's fuckin' hilarious!" Ava glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. "If you'd prefer the lab…." She stated garnering a dark glare from the silver eyed convict. Ava smirked at having bested him with only words. Carolyn moved to stand between Ava and Riddick, still secretly glad he was chained to the wall. "You sayin' we should release Riddick and add another dangerous element to our already precarious situation?" She inquired pointedly of Ava who merely shrugged her shoulders. "With Xenos runnin' around, he's the least of your worries. Besides, the two of us may be your only chances of getting off this rock alive." Ava let her eyes flick toward Riddick who only seemed to glower at her. Carolyn let out a low sigh, she was too tired and had too much to worry about to bother with further squabbling. "Fine, cut him loose. Remember, he's your responsibility." Carolyn turned an icy glare toward Johns. "What do we do with him?" Ava considered the question for a moment. "I have no problems with him trading places with Riddick, but I guess that would be considered inhumane. We'll keep him with us but he doesn't get a weapon." Johns' eyes snapped toward her, dark fires of fury burning within them as she mentioned not allowing him to carry his weapons. Ava smirked in his direction as she placed her side arm in the holster on her thigh and hoisted the shotgun over her shoulder. "Fine." Carolyn muttered as she stormed out of the wreckage. Ava slowly approached the seething non-merc and tore the keys to the shackles from his belt. "You won't be needing these, either." Ava snarled, hoping Johns would make a dumb move and give her the opportunity to throttle him. "Don't think this is over, bitch!" Johns snarled as he stormed off. "I want you to remember how this coulda gone and didn't!" Ava called after him, hoping he'd realize just how lucky he'd been.

Ava turned slowly and approached one of Riddick's outstretched arms. "Sorry this took so long." She muttered as she keyed the lock on the shackles until it sprung free. Riddick gratefully lowered his aching arm watching the fetching creature as she strolled passed him to release the other restraint. Riddick lowered the opposite arm and rolled his shoulders a few times to ease the ache in them from so long in the same position. Ava pocketed the keys and readjusted the shotgun on her shoulder. Riddick's silver gaze never left her, watching in a predatory fashion. A rumbling noise vibrated through his chest as he suddenly grasped Ava by the arms, spinning her around until her back was against the wall behind them. He leaned in close, scenting her again and pressing his hands firmly into the flesh of her arms. A shiver ran up Ava's spine, not of fear but of excitement. "Ya know, killing your rescuer is bad for business." Ava purred, hoping his grip on her arms would relax. "Never said I was gonna kill you." His deep voice rolled out like thunder eliciting another shiver from Ava. Her body was betraying her and Riddick could smell the sharp tang of arousal. His mouth erupted in a broad grin. "We'll haveta finish this later…Ava. Remember your promise. Stay alive." Riddick released Ava's arms and stepped away, silently drifting into the darkness and disappearing as if he'd been no more than a ghost.

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There's part two. More fun and Xenos in the next couple chapters. Reviews are nice, thanks.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Don't own Riddick, Xenomorphs or anything or anyone familiar. Not written for any profit._

_Warning: More violence, gore, foul language, mild sexuality, and Johns abuse. Enjoy!_

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_Riddick / Aliens / Predator Crossover Fan fiction_

**Part Two: Sand And Silence**

**Chapter Six: Across the Desert**

The survivors gathered whatever they could easily carry before their journey across the heated sand toward the mining colony and the skiff that could be their only way off of the deserted rock of a planet. Ava strolled out after Riddick, shouldering her duffel on one side and the shotgun on the other. "So, what? Just snap your fingers and he's one of us now?!" Shazza blurted out angrily to Ava as the young woman passed by. Ava understood the woman's rage, she'd just lost the man she loved. However, it hadn't been Riddick's doing and she wasn't going to have the woman's hostilities constantly directed at her new charge. "I never said that. At least this way I don't have to worry about any of you fallin' asleep and waking up infected. Trust me, nothing Riddick could possibly do to you could be worse than that fate." Ava commented, her eyes glazing briefly with sorrow. Shazza said nothing further, only turning around and storming off toward the other survivors. Ava studied the group critically, feeling it was now her responsibility to get these people safely off of the planet. She was their best defense against the Xenos and what ever those other things Carolyn had seen in the cave. Ava was built for this.

There were a total of four children, the most vulnerable in Ava's eyes. Then there was Imam, jittery and nervous Paris, bitter but capable Shazza, Carolyn, Riddick and, unfortunately, Johns. With any luck, the ex-merc would meet his fate on this planet. Riddick would be a capable fighter, but Ava knew everyone would cringe if she handed him a firearm. The convict's preference of shivs wouldn't get him very far with a Xenomorph. Sighing, Ava trudged toward the back of the slow moving procession beside Riddick who only grunted his acknowledgement of her. He had been forced into pulling a sled of supplies they would need to get the skiff operational and Ava found herself admiring the flexing of his muscles as he dragged the heavy contraption behind him. _Mustn't think like that right now. _Ava admonished herself and tore her gaze away from her study of Riddick's magnificent physique. Ahead of them Jack waked between Carolyn and Shazza begging to be allowed to talk to Ava and Riddick. "No!" the two women said in unison as Jack pouted furiously. Paris was grumbling and whining about the incessant heat as he trudged along slowly. Ava noted how tired and drawn he seemed and, although she didn't care that much for the man, she wondered about his ability to make the long trek to the mining settlement. A glass bottle fell from Paris' hands and he cursed as he doubled back for it. As he reached down, a large muscular arm reached down and plucked the bottled from the ground. Paris stood motionless before the powerful looking convict, stammering out a greeting. "Paris P. Ogilvie. Antiques dealer and entrepreneur." The weasely little man held out a hand for Riddick to shake. Riddick, surprisingly accepted the gesture moments before shocking the little man into submission. "Richard B. Riddick. Escaped convict, murder." He opened the bottle and poured it back, downing nearly half of the remaining contents in one gulp. "That's a nice Shiraz. It's….It's a lovely drop, very expensive…" Paris muttered as he watched Riddick drink his precious liquor. Riddick offered the bottle to Ava, a smirk on his face. "Been a while since you drank anything?" He asked, curious how Ava was faring so well in the sweltering heat. "Thanks, but no. I can go for days without food or water. Built to survive." Ava gave Riddick a glowing smile as he shrugged and downed the remaining contents of the bottle.

The long journey was rewarded by their arrival at the abandoned mining camp. The place looked as if it had been deserted for a very long time and that the inhabitants had left in a hurry. Imam and his three charges exclaimed excitedly as they located the solar powered machine that worked as a form of water pump. "This is the source of the water." Imam stated as he studied the contraption for a moment, wondering if it was still capable of producing the life giving liquid after so long in disuse. To everyone's great relief, Imam managed to get the machine to produce a steady trickle of water. His three boys excitedly cupped their hands to collect the glittering liquid gem before bringing it to their parched mouths. "My turn! My turn!" Paris stated as he shoved one of the three boys aside and placed his canteen beneath the trickle of water. The weasely little man waited impatiently for the canteen to fill before pulling it away and taking a long drink. His sore and parched throat reveled in the cold, fresh liquid as it rushed passed the irritated flesh. Ava shook her head at the selfish man as she strode over and pulled him gently away from the fountain. "Let the children have a drink, too, Paris. You can get some more later." She stated as gently as she was able, still feeling a bit concerned for the man's well being. He may have been a sniveling, whining , useless individual but he was still under her protection. "Who are you to tell me not to get a drink after I spent more than half the day trudging across a bloody desert!?" Paris chided her, his face contorting in rage. Ava managed a smirk at him, the corner of her mouth curling slightly. "I'm the one that's gonna keep you alive when the Xenos make their way here." Leaving Paris a stuttering mess, Ava walked away to continue her observation of the mining settlement.

Something glinted in the sun catching Ava's attention. She reached down and pulled a pair of broken spectacles out of the sand, brushing them off with her fingers. One of the lenses was cracked in two places and Ava slowly brought her eyes up to glance at the well fortified building before her. _Is this where you all went? _Ava wondered to herself, wanting to come to a conclusion about the fate of the previous inhabitants that didn't involve what she already suspected. Ava felt a wave of dread wash over her as she studied the metal façade of the structure before her. It would have seemed an opportune place to hide, why, then, had everyone disappeared? Where had they gone? Ava slowly realized, as she let her mind play scenarios in her head. that these people hadn't gone anywhere. The original inhabitants of the underground caves must have killed them all. Now the only thing to puzzle out was when had this mass extermination happened and where were the beasts now?

Paris had been less than impressed with the condition of their supposed rescue vehicle. "I can appreciate a good antique but this is ridiculous." He complained as he looked the sorry looking vessel over. "It'll get us off planet and that's what matters. It's still in pretty good condition, just needs a few patches here an there." Carolyn commented as she slowly strode out of the tiny ship. "It's not a star jumper but it'll do." She continued, trying to ease the minds of the growing crowd of concerned faces. "Doesn't have to be." Riddick chimed up behind them. "Take a little skiff like this up to the shipping lanes, stick a thumb out and you're bound to get picked up." Everyone turned around to glance at the convict who stood in place with his hands clasped behind his back. "He's right." Ava chimed up, startling the individuals who hadn't noticed her return from exploring the settlement. "If we play our cards right I might even be able to get us a lift, providing the communications work on that thing and I can get the correct frequency out. The Underground has ships, although we might get stuck waiting for a while." Carolyn strode down the ramp of the skiff as the crowd began to dissipate a little, fearing a confrontation of some sort. "If you think that's a possibility; right now I just wanna get this thing off the ground and out of atmosphere." The docking pilot commented to Ava who nodded tersely, passing a glance at Riddick who's eyes studied the vessel curiously. Johns had made a sudden appearance after having disappeared to avoid the accusatory glances that the survivors had been giving him since the truth about his involvement in the deaths of Zeke and the other survivor had been revealed. Carolyn had been quite frank with everyone concerning their new predicament and everyone was on edge fearing an appearance of the Xenomorphs at any time.

A low growl emerged from Riddick's throat as Johns made his appearance and stood beside his would be prize. "Why don't you find somethin' to patch these wings up and check those containers." Johns riddled off the order as he kept his gaze away from the muscular convict. "Why don't you go fuck yourself." Riddick stated plainly as he walked away, completely ignoring the command he'd been given. Johns watched with seething anger as Riddick turned his back on him. Fry stood at the bottom of the skiff's ramp, her hands on her slender hips. "Why don't you find something to patch up the wings with…Johns? And don't try to fuck with me, I have a mind to leave you here to rot while we fly away to safety." Her voice was laced with bitterness as she narrowed her grey eyes at the hyped up ex Company soldier. Johns grumbled something under his breath, the only word Fry happened to decipher was "bitch." It mattered little to her as long as Johns didn't cause more trouble, although it still made her slightly nervous that he was running around without anyone able to keep tabs on him. There was no telling what Johns' sick mind was capable of.

The survivors had gathered in one of the buildings as Imam praised his god for the life giving water that lined the table in expensive looking glasses they had found lying around. "All praise to Allah for his many blessings!" Imam stated, waving his hands over the life giving water. Jack had burst in out of nowhere, her head newly shaven with a pair of broken goggles perched atop her head. The group stared aghast at the girl as Ava tried her hardest to hold back a soft chuckle. "What?" She stated as she brought the glass to her lips. "It's the winner of the look-alike contest." Paris stated garnering a cold look from Jack. Ava turned her gaze toward Jack, giving her a thumbs up in approval, Riddick standing beside her leaning against the doorframe remaining silent. The idea that the kid was trying to imitate him instantly struck him although he couldn't see the reason why. He was a wanted criminal, hated and despised by nearly everyone and only desired by mercs for the price on his head. For the briefest moment, Riddick allowed himself to swell with a little pride that he could inspire someone so young. He only hoped that he didn't inspire Jack to do anything rash.

Carolyn took a grateful sip of water, relishing the feeling of the cold liquid as it poured down her parched throat. "Who were these people anyway, miners?" She inquired, wondering, as everyone else was, where everyone had gone and why. "Looks like geologists." Shazza chimed up, offering her own opinion. "An advance team. Moves from rock to rock." She continued to further her explanation. "Nice of them to leave so much stuff here." Carolyn commented. "Why did they leave their ship?" Shazza blurted out, interested as to why their was a grounded vessel but no people. There was a moment of silence before Johns decided to add his two cents. "It's not a ship. It's a skiff and it's disposable." Everyone turned to where he was positioned in the corner of the room, feeling very unwelcome amongst the group of survivors. Everyone ignored him completely except Paris. "It's more like an emergency life raft, right?" Shazza took another sip of water. "They probably had a big dropship take them off planet."

A low, deep chuckle drew everyone's attention toward the muscular man leaning against the doorframe. "These people didn't leave, come on!" He began. "Whatever got Zeke got them. They're all dead. You don't actually think they left with their clothes on hooks, photos on the shelves…." Shazza abruptly cut him off, much to his chagrin. "Maybe they had weight limits." Riddick gave her a wide and cocky grin. "You don't prep your emergency ship unless there's a fuckin' emergency." Jack chose that moment to voice her own opinion. "He's fuckin' right!" Johns growled from his corner, still trying to maintain some semblance of power. "Watch your mouth!" Ava glowered at him, her hand moving for her pistol sending Johns back into his corner where he belonged. Ava glanced at Jack giving her a wink. "He's just saying what we're all thinking." Carolyn began, surprised to be defending the mass murderer. "So what happened? Where are they?" Ava moved a little further into the room. "Riddick's right, I've seen this type of thing before. Entire colonies devoid of life, as if everyone had gone missing overnight. Of course, on missions we'd usually find them, covered in husks, holes in their chests, dead face huggers littering the floor. The only difference here is something else killed these people, not Xenomorphs." The stone cold truth that Ava wove into her voice seemed to sober the entire group of survivors who painted solemn and frightened looks on their faces. Ava suddenly felt she shouldn't have frightened them, although it may end up saving some lives. "Sorry. I've seen a lot of shit in my day is all." With a sigh, Ava turned and disappeared from the room, hoping to find out more information on the events that happened here and how best to defend the survivors against creatures she knew nothing about….not to mention the looming threat of the Xenos.

Riddick strode into the room, reaching passed a terrified Paris to grab a glass of water off of the table before making his own exit. He followed Ava's scent, having lost her in the desert environment. She'd gone to one of the smaller buildings on her exploratory journey and Riddick followed closely. Ava browsed the shelves and tables coated with years of dust and sand. Someone had lived here, ate here, slept here, perhaps raised their children here. A sickening feeling churned in the pit of Ava's stomach at the idea of children being torn to shreds by some sort of beast. A flash of memory stung her mind, doubling her over for a moment. A memory of a lost time, a previous life when she had lived as someone else. A name floated through her mind sung in her ancestor's voice: Newt. Ava hadn't heard him approach, stunned as she was by the emergence of the sudden memory. "Here. I know you said you don't need it but as far as I can tell you haven't drunk anything." Riddick's deep voice echoed from beside her as he thrust the glass in her direction. Ava slowly turned her gaze toward him, studying the glass before turning to his goggled eyes. To Riddick's great surprise a single tear glistened on her cheek, something he doubted he'd ever see. Ava seemed so resilient, powerful, driven. It had never occurred to him that she could be fragile, too. Slowly he used his free hand to raise his goggles to the top of his head; the room was dark enough that his eyes would be unaffected. Ava rose to her full height, only a few inches shorter than Riddick himself, allowing herself to move closer to him and slowly remove the glass from his hand. Riddick took her proximity as a chance to reach out and let the tear settle on his thumb. He pulled the digit away and studied the droplet of liquid as if it were some sort of rare jewel. Riddick turned his silver gaze back to the headstrong woman who now looked so different with her long hair tied up in a messy ponytail. "Somethin' happen?" He asked, his voice clearly tinged with concern. Ava set the glass on the table beside her, leaning against it and looking slightly defeated. She rarely let anyone see her cry. The only people who had ever had that painful privilege had been Michael, Bishop, or her two remaining sisters Rachel and Briana. "No." Ava stated mildly, avoiding Riddick's disbelieving glare. "So you always cry for no reason?" He inquired, pressing the point further. Ava sighed, having no interest in playing mind games with the man. "Just a memory. A very old memory, from the other Ripley….Ellen." Riddick's brow furrowed, confusion etched on his face. Ava chanced a glance at the powerful figure before her as he slowly closed the distance between them.

Suddenly aware of how close Riddick actually was, Ava tensed against the table behind her. Riddick could sense her sudden unease, but he was curious about this memory she shared with a woman who had been dead for hundreds of years. "You have someone else's memories?" Riddick queried, picking up the abandoned glass of water and placing it in Ava's hand to urge her to drink. Ava relented and drank the entire glass down in one big gulp. Setting the crystal goblet aside, Ava forced herself to relax, leaning further against the table hoping it would shift and give her some distance from the muscular figure who stood only inches away from her. "Yeah. It was part of the process, and part of the reason myself and my sisters were created. We retained the knowledge the original Ellen Ripley had about the Xenos." Ava explained, giving only the technical reason for the ancient memories that played in her head. Riddick still maintained a curious look, but it had descended into something more passive. "And….these make you sad." It was a comment and not a question, although it still needed an explanation. Ava lowered her gaze away from him, fighting the mask of sadness that had descended on her face. "No. I have other memories, too. Some about a little girl Ellen had rescued. She hadn't survived the journey to Fiorina 161. A Xeno had gotten onto the craft and destroyed the cryotubes of the survivors. The little girl drown in her tube after the crash landing." Ava slowly raised her eyes to Riddick, surprised to find sympathy reflected in his mercury orbs. "I'm sorry. I don't just have the memories, but the emotions that go along with them. Just a little side effect of the process, I guess." Ava stated, hoping Riddick wouldn't push any further.

Being so close to her, so nearly intimate, was beginning to drive Riddick insane. His eyes traveled the length of her, watching the shifting of her throat as she swallowed, the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, the way her muscles tensed and relaxed beneath her tanned skin. The beast within him snarled and churned, railing against the bars of it's carefully constructed cage and demanding to be near it's mate. _Mine!_ It snarled selfishly, clawing at the recesses of Riddick's mind. Wordlessly, Riddick leaned closer, inhaling Ava's delicious scent and letting his lips linger over the place where the blood pulsed in her neck. Ava's shuttered breath fell against Riddick's shoulder as she closed her eyes and waited for him to claim her. She could deny it no longer, Ava had her own beast; one more feral and more dangerous than even the one Riddick tried so desperately to hide. It uncoiled it's long body and shifted it's oblong head, hissing a response to the man it saw as it's mate. Slowly, softly, Riddick's mouth met Ava's flesh at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He nibbled gently, fighting the urge to bite, to claim this woman, mark her as his. The nibbles turned to soft kisses as his calloused hand cupped her opposite cheek with more gentleness than Ava knew he possessed. Riddick's unoccupied arm snaked around Ava's slender waist, bringing her closer to his heated body as the kisses increased in intensity. He trailed tender brushes of his lips toward her jaw line, letting his tongue taste the spiciness of her flesh. Riddick paused suddenly as his tongue and lips brushed against a portion of raised and puckered flesh at the juncture of her jaw.

Riddick pulled back, studying the moderately sized scar that resembled a quarter circle with a wide end tapering off to a sharp point. Above it, another shorter line that was wide at the top and tapered to a point as it intersected the circle. Slowly, Riddick unwrapped his arm from her waist and brought his hand up to gently brush the imperfection with his fingers. His face bore a slightly pained expression as he studied what looked to be a burn mark…perhaps a brand of some sort? "Someone do this to you?" Riddick asked in a husky voice that barely contained the rage and agony that he felt at who ever had hurt this beautiful creature. Ava pulled back to face Riddick completely, obscuring his view of the scar. "Yes." She stated simply, noting the sudden rumbling growl that emerged from Riddick's throat. Ava attempted to placate him with a slow smile. "It's a mark." She explained. "It shows prowess in battle. A sign I've killed a Xenomorph." Riddick only narrowed his eyes at her, wondering why in the Universe she would allow herself to be marred in such away….willingly. Ava, once more, felt the need to explain seeing the rage and confusion on his face. "I have some….unusual…..friends. They hunt Xenomorphs as a rite of passage, to anoint new warriors. I met one by accident, unintentionally interfering in their hunt. I killed the Xeno that tried to kill him. As is the custom amongst his people, he used the Xeno's blood to put the mark of his clan on my face. I later found out he was an elder amongst his race, a well respected individual. I was made an honorary member of his clan, a feat only eight other humans can boast. He's the one that gave me my dagger." Ava lifted her leg as she spoke and drew the intricately carved dagger from her boot. She twirled it briefly before holding it out to Riddick. Ava grew nervous as Riddick took the dagger from her hand, she never let anyone touch the blade. Riddick studied it carefully, marveling at it's construction. It wasn't metal, but seemed just as sturdy. "It's beautiful. What's it made of?" Riddick asked, giving the blade a few swings in mid air. It was truly a magnificent weapon. "Xenomorph bone. Their acid blood won't melt it." Ava answered, rather matter-of-factly. "It's my most precious possession. He is a very special friend." Ava stated, eager to have the dagger back in her hands. Riddick's eyes remained on the dagger as he carefully handed it back to Ava, sensing her slight unease. "So….your unusual friends….they aren't human, are they?" Riddick asked, recalling her tale. "No, they're not. They're a proud race of warriors, though, and I'm proud to call them friends and allies." Ava explained, trying to remain slightly secretive.

The heat of their bodies, still pulsing with need, twirled and coiled around one another reminding the pair of what they had been doing moments earlier. Riddick pressed himself against her as his lips slowly captured hers in a searing kiss. Ava gasped briefly at the sudden contact, but melted into him as Riddick's hands found their way to her waist. Firmly gripping her, Riddick let his hands wander over the delicate curves of her body as his mouth pressed more deeply against hers. His tongue slid along her lips, begging entry to finally take a true taste of her mouth. Ava moaned and allowed his tongue to slip passed her defenses, delving into her mouth and dancing with her own. She tasted sweet and spicy all at once, with a hint of danger and stunningly erotic power. All rational thought skittered from Riddick's mind as he let the scent and taste of her fill his senses, dousing him forever in the essence that was only Ava. Reluctantly, out of need for precious air, Riddick pulled away relinquishing her lips now swollen and bruised from the powerful kiss. Panting heavily, Riddick laid his forehead against Ava's trying desperately to recover his scattered thoughts. "You're gettin' under my skin, girl." Riddick said in a voice laden with desperate need. "Can't say I mind, though." He continued as Ava raised her brown eyes toward him. Her slender fingers slid along his muscular arms, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. "I think I like it here, under your skin." She said, wrapping her fists into the fabric of his shirt as if she feared something would tear her from his grasp at any moment. The sound of desperate cries filter from outside, drawing the pair from their steamy encounter. "Ali! Ali!" She heard the voices of the Holy Man and Carolyn intermingling as the searched for the missing child. Fear gnawed at the pit of Ava's stomach. "We should go see what's going on." Ava stated as she pried herself from Riddick's grasp. She felt a firm grip on her arm and turned back to meet a pair of hungry silver eyes. "We'll pick this up later." Riddick stated, making a promise Ava knew he intended to keep.

**Chapter Seven: Top of the Food Chain**

The impromptu search party scoured the settlement for the missing boy, calling out his name beneath the blistering heat of the three suns. "Ali! Ali!" Imam cried loudly, occasionally shouting in Arabic hoping the child was only being mischievous and would pop out at any moment. Ava could hear the distress in his voice and it pained her as she was intimately familiar with loosing people she cared about. Riddick half heartedly followed the group, noting Johns sour expression whenever he glanced at himself or Ava. Cold fury burned in his blue eyes when he glanced at the woman who had outed him and blown his secret plan to shit. If looks could kill, Riddick was certain Ava would have been disintegrated by the power of his stare. Riddick was certain of only one thing, if Johns even considered harming the woman, he would gut him like the pig he was. As the muscular convict strode passed the largest building in the settlement he caught an intense scent of fear. He wasn't close enough to the others in the group for it to have come from one of them so he deduced that the lost boy must have been inside. "Hey, have you checked the coring room?" Riddick bellowed drawing everyone's attention instantly. Riddick reached out to the handles and pulled with all of his strength, but the clanging of metal on metal told him that the doors were chained shut from the inside. The survivors arrived within moments as Riddick desperately pulled a final time on the doors that stubbornly refused to give way. "Chained from the inside." He muttered to Ava who commanded everyone to stand back. Pulling her pistol from her thigh, Ava fired three times until she heard the chains give way and clatter to the ground. Closest to the doors, Ava pulled them open as a wave of stale air and dust rushed over her making her wrinkle her sensitive nose. "Ali?" She called tentatively, but was met with only silence. Unfortunately, she could smell the rancid odor of fear as well. Slowly Ava entered with Riddick following closely behind her. Imam, anxious to find his boy entered as well, drifting off in a separate direction from the rest of the group.

Voices filled the empty building, calling out for the missing child. The sound echoed throughout the structure, bouncing off of the walls and vibrating through the air. Ava felt tense as she searched beneath some of the scattered items that littered the deserted building. Ali, the youngest of Imam's charges, was a rather small child. Perhaps something had frightened him and he hid himself. Imam could hear the others calling distantly but his attention was drawn to a large container that rattled from within. Something was beating against the double doors and Imam's fear mixed with hope that he had finally found the lost boy. "Ali?" He stated quietly as his trembling hands reached for the handles. The doors suddenly flew open and what seemed like a hundred winged creatures poured out, throwing Imam to the ground. The creatures, seemingly disoriented, screeched and cried out their distress as they fluttered aimlessly bouncing off of the walls. Ava turned abruptly as the mass of winged beasts dove in her direction. She raised her arms to cover her face as she was suddenly and forcibly tossed to the ground with a large weight pinning her down. Ava could feel Riddick's warm breath on her ear as he whispered: "Stay down." He remained atop her as they both watched the creatures circle what looked to be a giant well in the middle of the room. They dove and pitched toward the entrance to the well, but seemed reluctant to go into it. Distressed and maddened by their inability to reach safety, the creatures flew away from the well, circled the room a few times, before flying out through the open door. Riddick slowly raised himself off of Ava and pulled her up by one of her arms. "Thanks." Ava muttered, secretly embarrassed by the fact that the winged demons had startled her so. "No problem. Just tryin' to get you to keep that promise." Riddick muttered as he made his way over to investigate the hole.

The group was more than shaken by their encounter with the native wildlife. Ava could hear Imam weeping bitterly and realized they must have found Ali….and that he was most likely killed by whatever those creatures had been. _Fuck! Are we all gonna die on this planet? _Ava wondered to herself as she peered over the edge of the massive hole that Riddick was crouched over. At the bottom lay hundreds of human bones, all picked completely clean. Riddick could hear the remaining survivors gathering behind him. "Other buildings weren't secure, so they all came here. Strongest doors." Riddick began his observation now that the fate of the settlers had been discovered. "But they forgot to lock the cellar." Riddick rose up and backed away from the hole, brushing passed Ava as he did. She had barely noticed the touch of his flesh on hers as she stood rooted in place above the gaping chasm. The pull she had felt earlier was stronger now, an intense tingling in the back of her head. She closed her eyes, almost swaying as the hum started followed by a low, almost whispered, hiss. It was like a song she'd heard in a distant dream, the silent challenge of the thing that lurked underground. Ava answered back, a low hiss emanating from her lips drawing the attention of Riddick and Carolyn. Ava could feel herself being drawn forward, tumbling into the gaping abyss that lay before her. "Ava!" Carolyn shouted as Riddick dashed forward with unimaginable speed and caught the woman up in his arms. He pulled her back from the brink of the maw, drawing her further into the room. Ava slumped in Riddick's arms, her eyes heavy lidded and her breathing labored. With uncharacteristic tenderness, Riddick held her against himself, silently willing Ava to open her eyes to him. Carolyn hovered over them, concern etched on her face as she beheld the unconscious girl. "Give us a minute." Riddick growled his command as Carolyn winced at the terrifying tone of his voice. Wordlessly, Carolyn backed away and took her leave to avoid any confrontation with the convict.

Riddick gently tapped Ava's face with his hand until her eyes fluttered open. "Oh….shit." Ava grumbled as she slowly sat up, suddenly feeling completely embarrassed. It took her only moments to realize she was being cradled in the arms of a very concerned looking Riddick. "You really gotta stop hovering." Ava commented as she slowly made her way to her feet. Fighting a sudden bout of rage at her comment, Riddick rose to his feet beside her. "I just saved your life. You're welcome." He stated bitterly, letting his glowing eyes burrow into her. Ava brushed an unruly strand of hair behind her ear, carefully avoiding his stern gaze. "Thank you for that." She stated by way of an apology. Riddick glared at her, his fists tensing at his side. This woman could be so infuriating at times. "Care to tell me why the fuck you zoned out on me and tried to take a swan dive into the pit?" Riddick's deep voice rumbled and vibrated as he took a step closer to her. Ava chanced a glance at the hole only feet away and felt a shutter crawl up her spine. Dreamily she kept her gaze fixed on the darkened hole that held no small amount of dread for her. She may have been an expert warrior, designed better than a normal human but she wasn't above fear. "There's a queen down there. I felt her, in my head. It was like she was calling to me. I can feel her….sense her." Ava stated before slowly letting her eyes drift to his. Riddick narrowed his eyes at her, his hematite gaze glowing unnaturally as his eyes caught the low light that filtered into the room. "Care to explain that, or should I just wait for your next surprise?" Riddick snarled angrily making Ava wince at his tone of voice. Ava had hoped to avoid this subject entirely, fearing that everyone, including Riddick, would be afraid of her. It isn't easy telling people that you're part monster. "The DNA material taken from the original Ellen Ripley on Fiorina 161 contained traces of the genetic sequence of the Xenomorph Queen she was carrying inside of her. Ripley Eight, the only surviving clone, shared traits of the creature when their DNA had mixed. Heightened senses, improved reflexes, increased speed and resiliency. Even the acid blood. My blood isn't acidic, but I share traits as well. Bish….my creator diluted the strain to eliminate as much of the Xeno DNA as possible but was unable to remove all of it." Ava paused briefly, cringing a little as she felt Riddick place a hand on her arm. "Xenomorphs can communicate telepathically. Since I share traces of their DNA I can feel the Queen, feel her in my head." Ava raised her eyes to his, seeing an odd transformation there. Where once there had been a hint of anger, there was now compassion and understanding. Ava and Riddick were surprising one another. To ease the tension of the situation, Riddick pulled Ava into his arms, clasping her against his firm chest. "I'm not pissed at you. You just scared me is all." Riddick whispered into her ear as he pulled back and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Just outside the coring room, Carolyn, Shazza, Jack and Johns stood over a grotesque and horrifying sight. The flying creatures that had so eagerly fled the coring room, littered the ground in a heap of twitching corpses. Ava and Riddick stared blankly at the unnerving sight that only seemed to add more pieces to the puzzle that they were piecing together about the events of the settlement's past. Ava crouched down and gently lifted one of the wings of a deceased creature. The flesh seemed to be burned or melted, giving the animal a pallid, blistered appearance. "They're photo sensitive. Light hurts them….even kills them. Were these the creatures you saw underground?" Ava inquired glancing up at Carolyn. The blonde stepped back away from the pile of tiny corpses. "No. The one's I saw were much bigger. These must be the young." Ava grimaced inwardly, wondering how much bigger these things could be. It was just another peril she would have to deal with, another form of monster she would have to kill. Riddick had crouched beside her, making his own examination of the creatures. "If they're phobic about light, why'd they fly outside….into the sun?" Shazza inquired, kicking a dead creature away from her foot. Ava knew, all too well, the answer to that question. "We disturbed their roost. Or maybe Ali had. They live down in that hole, I'm sure of it. I watched them flying above it but they wouldn't go in. Instead they chose to fly through the doors having no other safe place to go because they're scared of what's down there. They're not top of the food chain anymore." Ava stated as she rose to her feet, glancing carefully between the four individuals who stood opposite her. Carolyn's grey eyes burrowed into her for a moment. "Your Xeno things are down there, aren't they?" Ava only nodded, feeling a slight chill run down her spine. Shazza glanced about for a moment, her ears picking up the sound of Imam and his boys saying a prayer over Ali's newly dug grave. "Has anyone seen Paris?"

It irritated Ava to no end that survivors kept disappearing. How could she protect these people if they didn't remain together, for their own protection? Shazza and Carolyn drifted off in one direction while Riddick and Ava chose to look in another. They called his name, checking buildings briefly and even looking in the skiff. It seemed as if he'd vanished into thin air. That sickening feeling settled in Ava's gut again the longer it took to find him. A sudden yell in the distance drew the search parties to an alcove nestled tightly between two of the buildings. Ava and Riddick arrived in time to see Shazza clutching a terrified Jack to her chest, keeping the child's face averted from the gruesome sight at their feet. Paris lay in the sand, a stunned and horrified look on his pallid face; a gaping hole torn open in his chest. "You gonna blame this one on me too?" Riddick asked sarcastically as he crouched down to study the corpse of the man he had shocked into submission only hours before. "Shut the hell up!" Shazza ground out through clenched teeth but the comment fell on deaf ears. Riddick's eyes fell on the bloody hole, bits of flesh still clinging to the broken and protruding ribs. _Fucking hell! _He thought as he considered that this could have been his own fate. Ava stood statue still, her eyes narrowing into slits of pure rage as she studied yet another victim of Xenomorph infection. "The twisted son-of-a-bitch lied to me! I'm gonna tear off his dick and make him swallow it before I blow a gaping hole in his head!" Ava raged, momentarily forgetting that Jack was near enough to hear. She turned abruptly, tearing off to search for the soon-to-be-dead Weyland-Yutani lackey. "Ava!" Carolyn called after her but the enraged woman chose not to hear. Carolyn glanced at Riddick, who only folded his arms across his chest, looking entirely too smug. "Are you gonna stop her before she kills Johns?!" she ground out to the convict who was desperately trying to mask the grin that tugged at his lips. "Way I see it, not my problem. Johns made his bed now he can lie in it." Riddick stated with little emotion as Shazza made a disgusted sound. Riddick turned his goggled eyes to the dark haired woman who still cradled a sobbing Jack. "You really do have problems, don't you?" Shazza asked, shaking her head in disbelief. "That's what they say." Riddick stated simply as he turned to track down the righteously angry Ava.

Johns leaned against the side of the skiff, bent over as his body was wracked with dry heaves. "Not a good sign, shaking in this heat." Ava purred beside him moments before her fist connected with his jaw. There was a sickening crunch as she felt the bones give way beneath her immense strength. Johns tumbled forward under the impact, clutching his fiercely throbbing jaw as he turned his enraged gaze at Ava. The dark haired woman tore after him like something possessed, laying blow after blow against his face. Johns lifted his arms to ward off the blows as Ava screamed in his ears. "How many fucking eggs did you bring on board?! And don't you EVER lie to me again you sorry excuse for a hyped up bastard!" Ava was suddenly wrenched off of him and pulled away, still screaming obscenities at the battered man who groaned in pain at her feet. She pulled herself free of Riddick's grasp, panting heavily and turning her dark gaze toward him. "Don't ever interrupt me when I'm interrogating someone again!" She growled, nearly unleashing her rage at him as well. "I ain't interrupting, just don't kill him before you get answers." Riddick stated, surprisingly calm after her outburst. Riddick held tightly onto Ava's arms, willing her to hold his gaze. "He's not worth it, Ava. He'll get his." Riddick's voice was low and calmed the fury that boiled in Ava's veins. She really didn't understand the power this man had over her. Riddick released his grip on Ava's arms and slowly turned his attention toward Johns who lay in a bloody heap on the ground. Riddick strode over, kicking Johns in the ribs and making him groan in pain. "Answer the fucking question! How many!" Riddick growled, tensing his hand around his improvised shiv he'd made to replace the bone shiv lost when he was attacked after the death of Zeke. Johns moaned piteously, holding his injured side. He coughed and rolled over, spitting bloody sputum onto the sand. "Twelve." He breathed out between coughing fits.

Ava clenched her fists at her side, her hands itching to grasp one of her pistols and blow several holes into the brutalized man. There was no telling what kind of damage Johns had caused already, but this new information made the situation go from bad to complete cluster fuck. Riddick took a moment to enjoy having the upper hand over his arch nemesis, giving him another firm kick in the stomach before hustling Ava away to avoid further bloodshed. They walked in stunned silence until Riddick took the opportunity to drag Ava into one of the abandoned buildings. Both of them needed a chance to cool off. Ava leaned against the wall, bending forward and panting away her anger. Riddick gave her a few moments to calm her justified rage before he made any inquiries. "How fucked are we?" Riddick asked, curious as to the assessment of their situation. Ava rose up, leaning against the wall behind her. "Three Xenomorphs, at least one of them a queen, and an unknown species of alien lurking under our feet. Everything's just damn peachy!" Riddick chuckled at Ava's sarcasm, glad she'd relaxed enough to have a sense of humor. Their eyes met and Ava managed a slight smile. Riddick hated to admit it, but it was a beguiling sight. "The reality is, well, fucked just about says it." Ava hated to be blunt, but she knew that Riddick wasn't the type of man who wanted anything sugarcoated. Riddick placed a muscular hand on the wall behind her, leaning in uncomfortably close. "You scared?" He whispered, his breath falling across her face. Ava let herself be captivated by his silver depths. "No. I'm gonna put my game face on and we're gonna get the hell off this rock." She spoke with calm assurity, the very essence of the woman who had worked her way so deeply under Riddick's skin.

His lips turned up in a grin as Riddick's free hand made it's way toward Ava's cheek and pulled her forward until their lips met. It was passionate and tender, heated and gentle a twisted jumble of desperate emotions. Ava felt herself drifting away, leaving behind the desert planet and the monsters that lurked there, sensing only Riddick and the feel of his lips on hers. Slowly she felt her arms closing around his neck, her hands roaming over his shorn scalp and the flexing muscles of his shoulders. Riddick pushed himself away from the wall and let his arms encircle Ava's slender frame, wandering over the enticing curves of her body. She moaned as Riddick greedily delved into her mouth, deepening the kiss and only serving to heighten their mutual desperate desire. Ava felt elated and uneasy as Riddick's hands made their way to more intimate parts of her body, brushing against her breasts and sending a shutter up her spine. Ava moved her hands toward Riddick's firm chest and gently pushed him away. They were both panting and trying to calm their fevered blood. "I'm sorry." Ava stated breathlessly. "Not here. Just….not here." She continued, by way of an excuse. Riddick placed his calloused palms against Ava's soft cheeks, leaning his forehead against hers. "Yeah. I know. I'm gonna keep you to our promise, ya know." Riddick told her, his understanding seeming out of character. Ava placed a chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth causing Riddick to close his eyes to savor the feel of her soft lips. "I will. It's what I do, remember?" Ava whispered as Riddick reluctantly pulled away from her. He found any separation from her to be a new kind of agony. "I'll keep it if you will. Now let's get outta here before I do something we both might regret." Riddick offered Ava a wicked smile and a wink as he led her back out into the blazing sun.

**Chapter Eight: Conversations in a Skiff**

Carolyn Fry felt a new sense of urgency to get the survivors off the planet and decided to focus her energies at getting the skiff up and running. She slowly strode up the ramp, stopping in her tracks at the unwelcome sight of Johns holding a bloody rag to his face trying to recuperate from the beating he had received. Carolyn desperately tried to mask the smile that tried to worm it's way across her face behind her usual stoic façade. "Don't expect me to feel sorry for you." Carolyn said coldly, her eyes betraying no emotion, at least nothing forgiving. "You're just lucky I have enough of a conscience left not to let Ava or Riddick just end your pathetic existence." Carolyn strode passed him, intent on ignoring Johns and focusing on hooking up the power cell and checking the hull integrity and power systems. "That the same conscience that kept you from ejecting the passenger cabin….or was that Owens talking?" Johns jibed at her, making her stop in mid stride. His cocky attitude amidst all of the chaos he's caused made Carolyn want to throttle him herself but she held the feeling at bay. Slowly she turned, rage burning in her grey eyes as she clenched her fists at her side. "What the hell do you even know about a conscience?" She kept her tone low and menacing with a hint of coolness.

Johns managed a beaming smile that only served to make him seem more smug, if that were even possible. "I know Riddick certainly doesn't have one. Did I ever tell you the particulars of how he escaped from slam?" Johns taunted, dangling a piece of information that he apparently deemed necessary in front of Carolyn as if it were a million credits. Carolyn remained silent, wondering what lie Johns was going to weave now into the elaborate tapestry he had already constructed. Still, Riddick made her uneasy even if it seemed Ava had him on a short enough leash. "He stole a ship…after killing the pilot, of course. He's capable of flying almost anything. Just thought you oughtta know before you bring the rest of the power cells. You know one ain't gonna get this thing off the ground." Carolyn wasn't about to play his game. Johns' hatred of Riddick was clouding his judgment almost as much as the morphine coursing through his veins. "Good. Maybe he can help us navigate." Carolyn stated smugly, not allowing her fear of Riddick to give Johns any more fuel. The would-be merc laughed loudly, the sound vibrating against the walls of the tiny vessel. "You're fuckin' kidding me, right?! First chance he gets, Riddick's gonna ghost all yer asses, take this skiff and fly off this rock not even bothering to look back. That's just the kinda asshole he is, Carolyn. Just you keep that in mind while yer preppin' this thing." Johns stood slowly, clearly favoring his side and made his way toward the ramp satisfied that he may have put enough doubt into the woman. Carolyn's stone cold voice echoed from behind him: "Way I see it, you've already killed three people and Riddick hasn't even harmed a single one. Maybe you got it all backwards…_JOHNS_." The injured blonde turned his head slightly to glance at Carolyn over his shoulder, his face maintaining a look of cocky assurance. A sickly smirk played across his lips. "I only killed two people. Zeke killed the other survivor so you better get your stats straight." Carolyn was unable to believe the words that came tumbling out of his mouth. She raged internally at him, not letting Johns see just how much he affected her. Carolyn wouldn't give him that thrill. "The other survivor was a dead man anyway. Zeke did him a favor, a mercy really." This time Carolyn did allow the small smile of pride stretch across her face. She had him now, noticing just a flicker of subtle anger flash across his features. Johns strode down the ramp and out of view without saying another word.

Flipping a series of switches and observing the monitors, Carolyn was overly pleased with herself as the skiff whirred to life. _Now we're in business. _She thought thankfully as she pulled herself out of the pilot's chair and came face to face with a wall of pure muscle. Carolyn's breath caught in her throat for a moment as reality came crashing down around her. She was alone in the skiff with a wanted criminal and murderer hovering over her. Riddick gave her a sly grin noting the intense aroma of fear that wafted off of her and gave him a tiny thrill. He really did enjoy scaring the living hell out of people. "Were a few shy, aren't we?" Riddick asked in a voice that was a mixture of terrifying and seductive. Carolyn desperately tried to work a few words passed her suddenly tight throat. "Where's Ava?" She asked, her voice cracking and betraying her fear. "Around." Riddick rumbled. "Checkin' for the beasties, I think." Carolyn slowly straightened herself, pulling all of her courage from the pit that had formed in her stomach. "You didn't answer my question…we're a few short. Power cells, I mean." Riddick taunted, enjoying this game a little too much. Carolyn swallowed the lump in her throat, facing Riddick as if she had no fear of him. "They're coming." She stated as calmly as possible, hoping he would believe her desperate lie. Riddick chuckled, grasping a hold of the bar that ran across the roof of the skiff. His muscles flexed as he leaned back, giving Carolyn a few more precious inches of space. "I suppose Johns already told you about my last escape. How I accomplished it?" He cocked his head slightly, his mercury orbs glimmering in the low light of the skiff. Riddick watched as Carolyn's muscles tensed for a moment and he absently wondered if she actually meant to fight him. "He gave me the quick and ugly version." She stated, feeling a little too trapped between the row of controls behind her and the wall of muscle in front of her. Riddick's face remained unchanged, the sly smirk seemingly a permanent fixture on his features. "And now you're worried that history will repeat itself." Riddick leaned closer to Carolyn who abruptly turned her back to him pretending to do something at the controls. "You scare me, Riddick. Is that what you want to hear?" She stated abruptly, suddenly feeling a wave of defiant confidence wash over her. Riddick made a derisive sound as if he disproved of what Carolyn had said. "It ain't me you gotta worry about."

Footsteps on the ramp suddenly drew Riddick's attention and he slowly turned his head as Ava climbed on board. She glanced between Riddick and Carolyn, her eyes narrowing at their close proximity. If she was jealous, she hid it well instantly delving into a much more important topic. "We've got a serious problem." Ava stated, calmly preparing to deliver another set of bad news. The shit just seemed to keep piling up. Riddick slowly withdrew from Carolyn's proximity, pulling his hands off of the pole above him and leaning against the wall of the tiny vessel. Ava continued to pass her disapproving gaze between the blond woman and Riddick, wondering just what in the hell those two were doing. "What is it?" Carolyn sighed, not sure how much more she could take. Ava pulled her gaze away from Riddick who maintained an impassive look despite the young woman's accusatory stare. "I found a model, in one of the buildings. It was of this star system. There's an eclipse every twenty two years….this month. It will plunge the whole planet into complete darkness and from what I gathered the planets won't shift for three months." Carolyn sighed, leaning back against the pilot's seat, her head hung nearly in defeat. How much worse can things get? Riddick's eyes darted between the two women, wondering which one would speak up first or if he was gonna have to state the obvious. "And then those things are gonna come out of their hidey holes. Probably your Xeno-what-cha-ma-call-its, too." Carolyn muttered, still much too loud within the tiny craft. Riddick chuckled again, apparently the only one of the three to find this situation humorous. "You're not afraid of the dark, are you?" He asked rhetorically.

Ava cut Riddick an angry look, clearly not entertained by his attempt at humor. Right now he only seemed cocky and rude; in other words, typical Riddick. He shrugged in Ava's direction, with a look that seemed to say: "What?" Carolyn ran a hand through her shoulder length blonde hair, after which it only settled back in the same messy position it had been before. This was not what she needed to hear. Carolyn had hoped they would have time, that they could avoid the dangers that scurried under their feet until the skiff was completely operational. "How long….til it starts?" Carolyn asked, hoping it would still be days away and they would all be safely off this death trap. "Don't know. Very soon though, I think. A day, maybe less." Ava admitted. She wasn't entirely sure her assumption was accurate, but Ava had a strong feeling that the eclipse was only a moment away. As if the stirrings of her primal self were telling her to prepare for immediate danger. An uneasy feeling had settled on Ava since she made her calculations and she was more eager than ever to get out of this place. "That doesn't give us much time. We still need at least four more power cells to get this thing off the ground and that means going back to the crash sight." Carolyn admitted, suddenly realizing she had pulled the curtain away from the deception she had tried to placate Riddick with. The convict glanced at her, the smirk was back. "Did Shazza get that sand cat up and running yet?" Ava inquired, knowing the dark haired Aussie had been working steadily on the vehicle for several hours. "I think so." Carolyn stated, not really sure since she'd spent so much time in the skiff. "Good. We can load up the cells in that and get back here before the proverbial shit really hit's the fan." Ava mentioned, turning abruptly on her heel to escape the now cramped skiff. They at least had a tentative plan in mind, Ava just hoped no more bad luck was headed their way.

Riddick disappeared from the skiff just as silently as he had come, giving Carolyn some much needed relief. He followed the trail of the enticing vixen who seemed to be paying him little mind. _Jealous, much? _Riddick thought to himself as he watched Ava quicken her strides in front of him. Riddick jogged up behind her, grasping her arm and pulling her back toward him. Ava spun around with such force as she was dragged in reverse that she collided with his firm chest. "As much as I like the view, I need to talk to you face to face." Riddick stated, as Ava defiantly met his goggled gaze. Her usual smile was gone and there was no playfulness anywhere in her expression. Ava's dark eyes darted back and forth as she set her mouth in a firm scowl. "I dunno what you think was going on back there, but it was just a little fun and games. I saw Johns walk outta there earlier and I needed to know where our intrepid docking pilot stood." Riddick gave the best excuse he could for his less-than-innocent behavior toward Carolyn. Ava narrowed her eyes at him, Riddick wanted to play games she could play too. "Apparently in the skiff…three inches from you." Ava's voice was level and chilly, enough to even unsettle the typically apathetic Riddick. He took a step back from her, folding his arms across his chest and letting his muscles bulge a little with strain. Sometimes he just wanted to throttle this woman. "You may find this hard to believe but when it comes to women, I like 'em one at a time." Ava could feel Riddick's eyes burrowing into her even through the dark goggles he wore. She felt the weight of his stare pinning her in place and making her shutter a little as if a sudden cold breeze had descended on only her. Ava shifted on her feet, cocking one knee out slightly and leaning all of her weight on the other leg. "You'll have to excuse me, Riddick. Last guy I was with was loyal to a fault and I still don't know you all that well." It was the best excuse she could come up with and hoped it served to prove her point. The idea that she was jealous of another woman over a man was new to her. She'd never had to fight for Marc; he loved her unconditionally and never so much as looked at another female with anything that resembled interest.

Sudden and unwanted thoughts of Marc entered Ava's mind, giving her a sullen look that she drew away from Riddick. Ava didn't want him to see that look of agonizing emotional pain on her face. She didn't want him to start asking questions. Riddick wasn't that easily misled, watching Ava's face morph from fierce antagonism to shame and sadness. "Last guy you were with?" Riddick inquired, not so sure he was eager to know about Ava's sordid past. The idea that someone else had touched her, even if it was in the past, drove his beast into a jealous overdrive. Ava sighed, wiping the sweat from her hands onto her pants. "It was two years ago. Long story; some other time, okay Riddick?" Ava turned on her heels feeling exasperated and began to walk away from him again. Once more, Ava was wrenched back and into Riddick's strong arms. Riddick folded his arms around her tiny waist and placed a less than chaste kiss onto her lips not giving a single fuck who would see them out in the open like they were. Temporarily satisfied that Ava hadn't rebuffed him and had actually opened up into the kiss, Riddick pulled away. "Mine." he rumbled, only inches from her ear. The sound of his baritone voice sent a shiver down Ava's spine that wasn't particularly unpleasant. The word he spoke and the possessive impression behind it settled all of Ava's concerns in one brief instant.

The curly, dark hair Shazza always sported could just be seen above the edge of the sand cat she was eagerly trying to get to function. Jack was seated in the driver's seat waiting impatiently for a cue from Shazza. "Try it now." Shazza stated in her thick accent. Jack turned the ignition and the small vehicle sprang to life with a pleasant purr. Jack briefly celebrated but her enthusiasm turned to anger as the vehicle sputtered and died again. "Shit!" Shazza blurted out, briefly forgetting the child's presence. "Damn this useless, ancient piece of crap!" Shazza screamed as she tossed a tool angrily and kicked the tire of the sand cat. "Need a hand with that?" Riddick's booming voice echoed from the opposite side of the vehicle. Ava stood beside him, awaiting another outburst from the easily ruffled Aussie, only this time directed at Riddick. Shazza moved around the vehicle, roughly pushing passed Riddick and Ava. "No. I've got it." She muttered angrily, equally enraged at Riddick as she was at the uncooperative vehicle. "I'm sure you do." Riddick grumbled, just low enough that only Ava heard. Unbidden, Riddick stuck his head beneath the raised hood of the vehicle and fiddled around, out of view of everyone. Within moments Riddick raised his head from beneath the hood and glanced sideways. "Try it now, Jack." He stated in a gentle tone he, so far, had only reserved for Ava. Jack did as he requested, not even waiting for a word from Shazza. The vehicle sprung to life and remained that way. Riddick smirked cockily in Shazza's direction as the woman barreled passed him again. She observed the inner workings of the sand cat as if to see if Riddick had sabotaged the vehicle. "Some wires were loose. Might wanna secure 'em better before you actually try drivin' this thing. They might come loose again." Riddick offered the information despite Shazza's suspicious glances. "I'll take that into consideration." She stated gruffly as she began collecting the tools she had been using. Riddick shrugged his shoulders, feeling more than a little unwanted. He strode passed Ava, letting his hand glide along her lower back, and made his way toward one of the small buildings that lined this part of the compound. Ava stepped up to Shazza who was still looking for a missing tool. Something glinted in the sun beneath the bumper of the sand cat and Ava reached down to retrieve it. Handing the tool to Shazza, Ava said: "You owe him a thank you."

Ava had had enough of Shazza's enraged glares and gruff sensibilities toward Riddick. He had been exonerated of Zeke's death and had shown great restraint in her presence. If anything, Shazza should be acting out her anger toward Johns, Zeke's real killer. The dark haired woman stared at Ava, momentary bitterness flashing though her eyes. Her face suddenly softened and she nodded curtly toward Ava who stepped aside to let her pass. Riddick stood beneath a shady overhang, leaning against the side of the building grateful for a brief reprieve from the blazing suns. He watched the dark haired woman approach through his dark goggles, wondering what had prompted her to approach him of her own accord. Shazza paused before him trying to maintain her air of righteous anger. Riddick stared at the woman, his arms folded across his chest while he maintained a completely passive expression. His ability to remain emotionally detached had served Riddick well throughout his life and would do no different now. Shazza cleared her throat, her hands resting on her hips as if she were trying to make herself seem more intimidating. "Thanks. For fixing the Sand Cat." Shazza blurted out in such a manner one would think a gun had been held to her head. Riddick smirked at the dark haired Aussie, a low rumbling chuckle vibrating from his chest. "Ava put you up to this? I'm pretty fuckin' certain it wasn't your idea." Riddick chided her angrily, not interested in much of anything the woman had to say. Shazza's eyes blazed with anger at Riddick's cocky and unnecessary comment. "For your information, yeah, she did!" Shazza shouted, not caring about the outcome of her well placed rage nor if anyone else would hear. "And another thing, I actually fucking meant it! I was trying to be sincere, if you're willing to believe that!" Riddick was enjoying how frazzled and upset the woman had gotten, his cocky smirk growing even wider. Any moment now he was sure Shazza would actually explode.

Riddick finally decided to end the charade with a deep shrug of his shoulders. "Fine, you're welcome. Now we're even." Riddick grumbled, suddenly feeling his attention drawn away from the angry Australian before him. Shazza only shook her head, dark brown curls swaying against her shoulders. "You can't even be civil for a few minutes, can you?" Shazza asked, noting Riddick had raised his gaze away from her, seeming intent on drawing their conversation to a close by ignoring her. "Now you're not even paying attention to anything I say." Shazza grumbled moments before she became instantly aware that the muscular convict was moving toward her. Usually stoic and fearless, Shazza swallowed hard and tried to sidestep out of Riddick's path. She was stunned into silence as Riddick placed his body in front of her in what could only be determined as a protective gesture. Shazza's eyes were suddenly drawn forward as she beheld what had Riddick so captivated. A large planet surrounded by a series of rings was slowly moving out of the horizon intent on it's journey to block the protective light of the planet's three suns. "What are my eyes seeing?" Shazza whispered as she watched the breathtaking yet alarming sight. Riddick only turned his head slightly, enough to see the woman out of the corner of his eye. "We need to go. Now!" Riddick's baritone voice shocked Shazza into action as she made a dash for the newly repaired Sand Cat. Riddick followed closely on her heels, pausing briefly beside the driver's seat where Jack still sat, her eyes glued to the sky. "Wait!" Riddick shouted, causing Shazza to halt her attempt to close the hood of the vehicle. "Jack, gum!" Riddick held his hand before the girl, waiting for her to remove the piece of gum he had smelled on her before. Jack complied, dropping the chewed up wad into Riddick's palm. Riddick bent beneath the hood of the vehicle using the gum to hold the wires in place. Riddick piled into the back of the vehicle where Jack joined him as Shazza pulled herself into the driver's seat. "Where's Ava!" Jack cried, noticing the sudden absence of the woman whom she swore had been there only moments before. "She'll be here, let's go!" Riddick announced as Shazza peeled away tossing sand and rocks into the air. The eclipse had begun and soon the planet would be plunged into darkness.

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Part Two complete. Will they survive the Xenos, Bioraptors and each other? Find out next chapter. Reviews welcome! Thanks.


	4. Chapter 4

_Usual Disclaimer: Don't own Riddick, Xenomorphs, Predators or any familiar names. Warning: Violence, foul language, character death, more one liners. Hope you like it so far..._

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_Riddick / Aliens / Predator Crossover Fan fiction_

**Part Three: Darkness Falls**

**Chapter Nine: Flight of the Raptors**

The Sand Cat skidded to a halt tossing a plume of dust into the air. Shazza rose up in the driver's seat, gripping the windshield tightly as she called out to the remaining survivors. "We've gotta kick on! While there's still light left!" Imam helped his boys into the vehicle before following himself and reaching a hand out to the person behind him and coming eye to eye with Johns. The would-be merc glared at Imam who gripped his hand tightly. Thankfully for Johns, Imam's religious sensibilities prevented the man from simply dropping him on his ass in the dirt. Carolyn clamored into the seat beside Shazza as Jack cried out for Ava. Riddick stood, glancing back at the building behind him expectantly for the tall, dark haired woman. "Just leave her ass here!" Johns growled, garnering a look of evil intent from Riddick. Ava dashed out of the building, her black duffle in one hand and Johns' shotgun flung over her opposite shoulder. Wordlessly, Ava tossed the bag to Riddick who deposited it at his feet as he flung his hand out for Ava to grasp. The Sand Cat had begun moving just as Ava was swung onboard. Riddick glowered down at Ava, both of them swaying with the movement of the vehicle. "You gotta stop scaring me like that." Riddick rumbled as he drew Ava down to a seated position beside him lest they both fall out of the bouncing vehicle. Ava offered him a reassuring smile; she hated to admit it but Riddick's protectiveness was rather endearing. "Needed my bag. You'll thank me later." Ava quipped nonchalantly although Riddick seemed less than amused. He only hoped she wouldn't continue to take unnecessary risks once things really got bad.

As soon as they arrived at the crash site, the survivors piled out of the Sand Cat to gather the rest of the fuel cells they would need to power the skiff and get them off of the God forsaken rock. The only person who remained was Shazza who was more than eager to get underway again. The planets shifted much quicker than they would have liked, quickly dousing the planet in a ruddy glow that would only last for moments. Only two of the power cells had been loaded when Jack called out loudly. "Guys! We're too late!" Everyone paused briefly, watching as the darkening sky filled with thick plumes of winged creatures pouring out of their tunnels to feast on the new meal that had been scurrying above ground for days. Ava knew, as she watched the breathtaking spectacle, that it wasn't the only reason the creatures were fleeing their homes. They feared the new menace that lurked below ground, the one thing on this planet far worse than they were. Ava placed her hand on Jack's shoulder, feeling the girl tense beneath her fingers. "Jack….get inside, now!" The young girl turned a fearful gaze toward Ava before dashing off toward the open door of one of the ship's containers. Imam cried out from the doorway, gripping Jack tightly as the rest of the survivors made a mad dash for safety.

Cursing angrily as she beat her hands on the steering wheel, Shazza clamored out of the Sand Cat and charged toward the container, followed by Riddick and Ava. A cloud of winged creatures descended on the last three survivors, screaming and clicking madly in the descending darkness. Shazza leaped into a large divot in the ground with Riddick and Ava repeating the action behind her. The creatures fluttered so closely over Riddick and Ava the disturbance of air caused by their wildly flapping wings could be felt against their skin. Ava could hear Jack calling loudly to Shazza, encouraging the woman to stay down until the creatures had passed. The terrified Australian braced herself, her body eager to run from the danger surrounding it. Ava wasn't about to loose another person to this planet, nor to the creatures on it. She pressed her duffel into Riddick's side, sliding the strap of the shot gun over her neck. "Don't." Riddick growled as he felt Ava shift beside him. Pulling her pistols from her thigh holsters, Ava turned her head toward him, a slight smile on her lips. "I'll be right back." She quipped as she rolled onto her stomach and leaped onto her feet. Ava could feel the beating wings as the creatures descended on their moving target, unaware just how dangerous this one was. Ava leaped into the air, spinning in a corkscrew fashion as she fired her semi-automatic pistols into the cloud of ravenous creatures. The winged infants dropped out of the air, their blue blood splattering Ava's clothes as well as the ground as she floated beneath them spraying death in her wake. Spinning in mid air until she faced the ground again, Ava dove toward Shazza's prone form, rolling forward on the ground as she landed. Shazza felt a weight on top of her as a voice whispered in her ear. "Stay down until I say to move." Ava stated, listening to the thunder of wings above her. She glanced up, watching as the creatures spun into the sky awaiting the moment to renew their attack. "Go!" Ava shouted to Shazza as both women clamored out of the divot and rushed toward the safety of the container. The winged beasts fluttered madly above the metal contraption that contained their cunning meal before disappearing into the fading light.

Riddick rose to his feet, duffel in hand, once the sky was temporarily void of death dealing creatures. He strode confidentally toward the container, his silver gaze intent on Ava. The woman, his mate, had defied him dangerously; nearly costing her own life. Riddick paused at the doorway of the container, watching as the creatures continued to pour out of their towers. Carolyn stood behind him, watching over his shoulder although the darkness prevented her from seeing the brutal beauty of the scene before them. "What is it, Riddick? What do you see?" She whispered, afraid of the answer he might give. Riddick turned slowly although he avoided meeting her gaze. "Like I said. It ain't me you gotta worry about." Imam and his oldest boy, pushed the door shut once Riddick had passed the threshold; hopefully locking them safely inside.

Riddick's intense silver orbs met Ava's dark gaze as she hoisted the reclaimed duffle bag over her shoulder. Riddick took hold of her arm and pulled Ava away from the others. He pushed her against a large crate, closing Ava in with both muscular arms placed on either side of her head. Riddick remained only a few inches from her, his large body preventing any escape. "You're not gonna be able to keep that promise if you keep pullin' stunts like that." Riddick's voice was an angry snarl, ensuring his point got through loud and clear. Ava sighed at his righteous anger. She had made a dangerous choice that could have cost her life although she had been certain in her ability to safely reach Shazza. "I know but I was built for this, remember? I'm perfectly capable of handling myself; you're not the only badass here, ya know." Ava chided Riddick, watching as his face further contorted in a mask of rage. "Don't you dare fucking tell me not to be concerned with your safety! You go off all half cocked again and you're gonna get yourself killed, Ava!" Riddick ground out through clenched teeth watching as Ava kept her eyes fixed on his, a wide grin stretching across her face. The gesture shocked Riddick so that he was no longer able to discern his mixed up emotions. He was angry and asserting his dominance, yet this woman only smiled at him in a rather beguiling manner. "Richard Riddick, are you worried about me?" Ava stated with a playful and seductive purr to her voice. Riddick could only frown, unable to form an answer to her question. Truth was, he was terrified of loosing her to the dangers of this planet. In all of his life, Riddick had never felt such a vicious protectiveness over anyone else, especially a woman. "I promise to be more careful. Scout's honor." Ava stated, her hand raised at her side with two fingers pointing upward although her seductive attitude had changed little. Ava leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on Riddick's lips as if to solidify her promise. Drawn in by the taste of her lips, Riddick placed his hands on her cheeks and deepened the kiss pressing hard against her lips. They both pulled away reluctantly as Riddick laid his forehead against hers breathing heavily. "Stay alive." Riddick reasserted their promise as he gazed into her dark eyes.

Reappearing out of the shadows, Ava and Riddick gave the rest of the survivors a momentary fright. Both of them could be as silent as the surface of Luna (Earth's Moon) and blended easily into the darkened crevices of the container. Behind one of the metal walls, the raptors clicked and whooped in a desperate attempt to reach the prey they knew were inside. The sound of claws against the metal wall made and eerie rasping noise that threatened to make one's ears bleed from the high pitched quality it attained. The only thing drowning out the sound of the raptors cries was the clamor of human speech from within their temporary safe haven. "Are these the only lights we have, is this everything?" Shazza inquired, fondling the small cluster of flashlights and other sources of illumination. Carolyn began searching the darkened floor, her eyesight all but useless. "No there's a cutting torch on the floor here. I just can't find it." She added, still blindly fumbling about in her search for the torch. A set of long, slender fingers descended on the torch, lifting it up slowly as Carolyn's eyes followed the ascending equipment until they locked onto Ava's intense gaze. "Lookin' for this?" Ava asked with less sarcasm than usual although a slight smirk danced across her face. Carolyn stood slowly, taking the torch from Ava's hand cautiously. "Did - did you see that? It's dark as hell in here?" Carolyn wondered allowed, curious as to what other secrets the young woman was hiding. Ava cocked her head briefly, a decidedly playful gesture. "Yeah. I see pretty well in the dark, too. Another gift from my Xeno DNA." Carolyn only nodded as she made her way back toward the rest of the survivors, wondering if she should be just as afraid of Ava as the winged beasts outside, not to mention the Xenomorphs that could be lurking anywhere.

The sound of arguing drew Ava and Riddick from the darkened corridor toward the soft glowing light that the survivors had gathered. It would be impossible to save all of their lives if these people couldn't get along for more than a few seconds. "Our little psycho fuck family is gonna tear itself apart." Riddick rumbled behind Ava who realized, sadly, just how right he was. Imam's voice of reason suddenly silenced the irritated group. "Quiet, please, everyone!" His thickly accented voice filled the now silent container. On the other side of the wall the sing song whooping of the raptors continued, almost seeming to grow louder with every passing second. Ava imagined that having to listen to that noise for an extended period of time might make one go insane. "Why do they do that? Make that sound?" Jack inquired in a whispered tone as she leaned her ear against the wall following the example of Imam, Carolyn and Shazza. "Perhaps it's the way they see. With sound reflecting back." The Holy Man added, convincing Ava that he was much smarter than he seemed. She hated to admit it but she considered him a sheltered Muslim who thought very little beyond his religion. A fond smile tickled Ava's lips as she made her way toward the wall of sounds that had everyone so mesmerized. "They have no eyes." She added casually, garnering the full attention of the slightly stunned survivors. "I noticed on the young that died outside of the coring room. They have no eyes, no eye sockets and I'd wager no optic nerves. I would assume that their entire head is covered in sensory organs that collect the reflected sound for immediate processing. Probably have huge visual cortex too, most of their brain dedicated to processing the information of their surroundings." Ava spoke as if she'd been studying the beasts for years although the evidence she had gathered was based on simple observation and deductive reasoning. Ava would never admit it out loud, but the native species of this planet was fascinating to her.

The group had been stunned into silence, carefully moving away from the wall as the sounds outside began to soften and die down. It was slightly unnerving and Ava began to wonder if the raptors were simply moving on to another part of the container searching for a way in. These weren't simply dumb beasts after all. Then again, neither were the Xenos. Ava fought a momentary shutter as she wondered just where in this darkened world they might be hiding. Johns took that moment to voice his own opinion on the danger they were facing, which only seemed to add to the apprehension everyone was already feeling. "You remember the bone yard? These might just be the fuckers that killed every living thing on the planet." He roughly strode passed Ava, bumping into her and passing her a look that bordered somewhere between detestation and disgust. Jack passed a glance in his direction, her eyes wide and full of fear when they finally fell on Ava's dark orbs. "Shockingly, he's right." Ava mentioned, although she fought back the bubble of bile that threatened to rise up in her throat. "There were marks on the bones; teeth and claw marks. These animals swarm, like huge bees, to take down larger prey." Ava made the statement not to frighten the survivors, but in the hopes that the information would save a few lives. "What about us?" Carolyn inquired, eager to know if the young woman thought they stood any chance of survival. Ava's expression remained passive, although inside she was churning with fear. "We're not exactly larger prey." The adults she had seen in the distance must've been at least as large as the average human. The infants had numbers and speed on their side, the adults could just as easily use brute force.

Riddick lit the cutting torch with the lighter he'd pocketed from Paris' corpse and began to cut through the wall of metal into the adjacent container. Once the hole had been cut he punched through the loosened metal plating grimacing a little as it clattered on the floor inside the other container. With any luck, none of those things were inside or close enough to hear the loud noise. The parade of survivors crawled through the hole carefully as the container they were leaving began to fill with the sounds of claws on metal. Riddick and Ava were the last to scramble through the small hole as the bioraptor bore down on them from the other side. Thinking quickly, Imam began to push a crate into the hole to hopefully fill the opening enough to keep out the pursuing animal. The Holy Man leaned against the metal wall, panting with exertion and grateful they had avoided the danger that loomed just on the other side of the barrier. The sudden appearance of a two foot long claw, sent Imam skittering away from the wall with a cry of surprise. With inhuman speed, Ava reached out and wrapped her hand around the pointed appendage only a few inches from the thickest portion at the base. The creature on the other side of the barricade began to struggle madly against whatever was holding it in place. It's cries of distress could be heard echoing through the adjacent container, sounding shrill and agonized as it tried to free itself from it's unfortunate position. Ava grunted as her hand wrapped itself tighter around the claw, her immense strength giving the raptor no quarter. There was a high pitched wail of undeniable pain as the animal finally managed to escape, short one claw. Ava retained the bloody appendage, examining the sharply pointed weapon with a sense of reverence. "Thank you, Miss Ava." Imam stated through panting breaths, still terribly shaken from his encounter with one of the beasts hunting them. Ava turned her dark eyes toward Imam, offering him a gentle but slightly mischievous smile. Placing a hand on the Holy Man's shoulder, Ava squeezed it gently in a reassuring gesture. "Just don't lean against any more walls."

Riddick's disapproving gaze fell on Ava who made her way toward the rest of the survivors still clutching her new prize. "What the hell was that about? What are you trying to prove?" Riddick snarled, getting slightly upset with Ava's constant need to take unnecessary risks. Ava offered him a slight smirk, not sure if she was more proud of what she'd done to the raptor or the fact that she could drive Riddick nearly insane. "Needed a souvenir." Ava stated nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders. A growl ripped through Riddick's chest; a deep, rumbling warning to his mate that her behavior was unsatisfactory. The sound didn't go unheard as Ava turned a sidelong glance toward the enraged convict. She offered him an innocent smile that still managed to maintain an appearance of devilry. The unfortunate effect it had on Riddick put pause to any reprimand he might've considered unleashing on the beguiling woman. His groin twitched at the sight of her softly upturned lips and the glint of mischief in her eyes. _Fucking shit! How the hell did she do that!? _Riddick thought as he slowly nursed his injured pride.

A soft scurrying noise at the rear of the container they now occupied drew their attention. Carolyn rose slowly to her feet, shutting off the cutting torch to save fuel. "What the hell was that?" Shazza blurted out beside her, holding out a small hand light and allowing the illumination to play across the darkened corridor before them. "Could be a breach in the hull, I don't know." Carolyn whispered beside her, clearly not convinced by her own words. Ava stared intently into the darkness, illuminated in her eyes as if the container had been suffused in twilight. Her gaze shifted madly, darting over every crevice, every upturned crate and twisted pile of metal. Something was in there with them, something dangerous and it was hunting them. Sighing despondently at what she knew she must do, Ava turned back toward the others with her gaze fixed on the Blue Eyed Devil himself. Johns leaned against the haphazardly piled crates that had been inverted during the crash, his arms folded across his chest as he watched Ava disapprovingly. Wordlessly, Ava pulled the shotgun off of her shoulder and shoved it into Johns' chest, putting much more strength behind it than was necessary. Johns' gave her and incredulous look as she pressed the weapon into him, struggling with weather or not to put his hands on it. "I'm giving you the chance to clean up your mess. Unfortunately you're one of the few people here who knows how to use a firearm but if you even THINK about turning this thing on anything human I will shove that gun so far up your ass that when I pull the trigger you'll still be spittin' bullets long after you've expired!" Ava released her grip on the shotgun which would have tumbled to the ground had Johns not clutched his hand over the strap in record speed. Hoping she'd put enough emphasis into her threat, Ava turned her back and began to step away from the newly rearmed merc. The sound of the shotgun cocking behind her made her pause in her retreat, her head turning slightly as her hands settled on her sidearms.

A soft tapping sound drew both Ava's and Johns' attention. The blonde merc looked down slowly to where Riddick's curved blade was tapping against his crotch as the convict gave the man a knowing smirk. The intense exchange between the two nemeses lasted for only seconds but time ticked by at a snail's pace. "Okay." The merc stated softly, nodding his head and lowering the gun until Ava was no longer in harm's way. With lightning speed, Riddick withdrew his improvised shiv and returned it to it's hiding place in a blur of motion. Riddick passed Ava a glance as she looked over her shoulder at the two men that seemed to question why she would willingly return the dangerous merc's weapon. Any argument he may have made was stifled as the sound of claws and a low, musical whine emanated from the darkness at the other end of the container. The three of them tensed as the soft whooping sound filled the container, sounding eerily close. "Come on, Johns, you've got the big gauge." Riddick's deep voice filled the sudden silence, steeped in sarcasm. Johns let out a derisive sound at the incredulous idea that he run into the darkness to play hero. "I'd rather piss glass. Why don't you go fuckin' check." A playful smile stretched across Riddick's lips at the merc's suggestion. There was a scrambling sound again, like long talons on a hard surface. It didn't sound any closer but there was no doubt it soon would be. Their only sanctuary lay behind them in the soft glow of the few lights that were currently protecting the other survivors. "I'll go." Ava chimed up, not willing to wait until the creature crept up on them. "You two just stay here and jerk each other off." Ava drew one of her pistols and made her way into the looming darkness.

Riddick let out a low growl of disapproval as he watched Ava disappear deeper into the container. Once again, she was taking a very unhealthy risk. The midnight blue of her vision illuminated the darkness enough to make out most of the details of her surroundings. Ava paused in her hunt, glancing at the "T" shaped juncture she had just come across. There was no sign of the Raptor she knew had to be inside and, more frightening still, no sign of any of the missing Xenomorphs. She felt a sudden wall of warmth behind her, a barrier that she knew could only be firm muscle and animalistic strength. "Decided to join me?" Ava purred quietly, throwing a sideways glance over her shoulder and meeting a pair of stern, glowing eyes. Riddick shrugged, a decidedly nonchalant manner. "You're better company." Riddick responded, his voice deceptively quiet to avoid alerting any potential danger that may be lurking nearby.

A shuffling sound drew Ava's attention that didn't sound anything like the animal she'd heard before. Stepping forward, she caught a glimpse of another of Imam's boys who had wandered away from the group. Ava was unsure as to the boy's name, she hadn't been able to keep the three of them straight anyway, however her protective nature took over as she reached out in an attempt to grasp his sleeve. Above them, the hammer-headed beast feasted on a younger member of it's own species, the snapping of it's jaws nearly deafening in the silence that surrounded them. "Extremely bad timing." Riddick rumbled quietly as both he and Ava were mesmerized by the brutal sight before them. "Just don't run." He continued, slinking back into the cover of darkness. Ava grasped desperately for the boy's arm but only encountered empty space as she watched the frightened child disappear from her view. A terrified scream cut the darkness as Ava watched in horror while a second raptor descended on the poor child. Ava had little time to mourn the boy's senseless death nor unleash her rage at the Universe at yet another of her failed attempts to save an innocent life. Her attention was drawn back toward the Raptor before her, as it's swaying head seemed to observe her with it's eyeless vision. At first she didn't see the skeletal, black figure that hung from the roof of the container, watching it's hammer-headed prey while streams of thick saliva dripped from it's snarling jaws. The Xenomorph leaped from it's high perch onto the unlucky Raptor as the creature whooped and squealed in frightened agony. A pair of black lips grimaced wickedly, showing a row of glistening metallic looking teeth that flowed with copious amounts of saliva. Opening it's jaws slowly, the Xenomorph's oblong head trembled and twitched as it's secondary mouth shot out like a piston into the neck of the struggling Bioraptor.

The creature struggled beneath it's hardened, menacing assailant screaming piteously as it thrashed in the throes of death. Releasing it's newest victim, the long, obsidian head of the Xenomorph rose slowly to regard the two legged threat before it. Ava carefully undid the small leather strap that held her second side arm firmly in place and slowly removed the weapon from the holster. Taking two steps back, Ava collided with Riddick's firm build as the silver eyed convict stood entranced by the captivating animal before him. "Riddick…" Ava whispered, keeping her eyes on the Xenomorph which seemed equally enraptured with her. "Step back VERY slowly and do exactly what I tell you to." Not usually one to take orders well, Riddick complied willingly as every instinct inside of him told him that this was not something to be fucked with. The Xeno let out a low menacing hiss, challenging the two humans before it as if deciding weather or not it would be worth it's time to capture or kill. Ava narrowed her eyes at the familiar enemy, releasing an answering hiss of her own. The Xeno read her challenge as if she, herself, were one of it's species. Ava's breathing quickened as she watched the alien slowly crawl off of it's perch atop the huge crate, stalking it's prey with instinctual precision. "Riddick…run!" Ava shouted, increasing her pace as the enraged alien descended on her, leaping from the wall to the crates opposite as it dodged Ava's gunfire. "Fuck!" Ava roared as her semi-automatic pistols began to empty into the Xeno's hard carapace which oozed green, acidic blood onto the metal floor.

Behind her, Ava could hear a sudden throaty cry as Riddick ran into the direct beam of light from Johns' shotgun. Shielding his sensitive eyes that burned and throbbed from the blinding beam, Riddick tossed himself into a darkened corner as Ava and her hunter descended on them. A shrill scream that may have been Carolyn cut the dark as Ava unloaded the remainder of her clip into the determined alien. Mortally wounded, the hulking sable form of the Xenomorph collapsed at Ava's feet while it's acidic blood pooled around it and instantly began melting away the metal floor of the container. The survivors gathered near but still far enough away from the body to avoid the metal dissolving blood. Another shriek echoed from behind Ava as the body twitched suddenly prompting Johns to shoot the already deceased alien again and nearly spraying the acidic blood onto Ava. Her dark eyes focused on the merc, offering him a painful death if he did anything like that again. "Acid for blood." Carolyn spoke, almost distantly as she watched the gaping hole open wider beneath the body of the alien. Ava offered her a sideways glance. "Did I stutter." She said, almost sounding irritated despite the intense rush of her recent kill.

**Chapter Ten: Moving Out**

The survivors seated themselves around a haphazardly piled collection of lights they had managed to collect from the container they had found temporary sanctuary in. The debate over their next action had been raging for far longer than Ava thought was necessary. They couldn't stay here indefinitely, their only course of action was to make a blind run for the skiff and get their asses off the deadly, darkened planet. Carolyn assessed their lighting resources, her tone sounding calamitous. "So, we've got one cutting torch, two hand lights and not much else." Shazza crouched beside her, brown eyes fixed on their measly pile of assets. "There's gotta be something we can rip out of the crash ship." She stated, her voice tinged with hope. Imam had been busy mourning the death of he second charge but bravely took the opportunity to speak up. "I may not imbibe but spirits might be of use. Anything with enough alcohol content should burn rather nicely." He stated, recalling the coffin full of Paris' booze. Ava smirked, she really did like the Holy Man despite having no use for religion herself. "Forty proof and above is flammable enough." She chimed up, offering a nod of approval to the Holy Man. Carolyn glanced at the blonde merc who stood nervously clutching his shotgun as if another Xenomorph might jump out at him at any moment. "Johns, you've got some flares, right?" She asked, drawing the man's strained attention. "Uhhh…yeah." He stated nervously, his eyes darting about the darkened container. "Maybe we've got enough light." Carolyn sighed, rolling a hastily constructed plan over in her mind.

Johns stared incredulously at the blonde woman who seemed suddenly so intent on saving the lives of the survivors she threatened to doom to a horrible death by dumping the passenger cabin onto the desert planet during the crash. "Enough for fuckin' what!?" Johns roared suddenly, his blue eyes blazing with a mixture of fear and anger. What the hell was this woman trying to prove now? Ava casually placed herself between the blonde docking pilot and the unbalanced merc. "We stick to the plan. We get the four cells back to the skiff and we're off this rock." Ava stated firmly, her dark eyes narrowed on the hyped up blonde who stood less than a foot away from her. Johns' expression adopted a look of smug importance, as if he were the most intelligent person in the room. "I hate to ruin a beautiful theory with an ugly fact but that sand cat is solar. It won't run at night." _No shit, Sherlock! _Ava mused, her arms crossed in front of her as if to silently goad the merc into doing something stupid. Not that that would be very difficult. "So we carry the cells, drag them, whatever it takes." Carolyn chimed up, trying to diffuse the situation before Ava pummeled the blonde man again. A soft, frightened voice drew their attention. "You mean tonight? With those things still out there?" Jack asked, wrapping her arms around her knees and hugging them to her chest as she rocked nervously. Shazza wrapped a comforting arm around the girl, grimacing inwardly as Johns' voice spun more hot air into the already stifling room. "Alright, how long can this last? A few hours, a day, tops?" Ava took a step toward him, her dark eyes offering a challenge. "Actually, dumbass, from what I gathered from the model the eclipse will last at least three months. You can stay here and play with the critters, we're going to make a run for the skiff."

If looks could kill, Ava would have been disintegrated on the spot. Johns' chilly blue stare would have made anybody's blood run cold. His hand tensed on the shotgun as Ava cocked her head in a mocking fashion, her finger tapping the side of her pistol. How was he to know they were both devoid of ammunition? Searching for a distraction to diffuse the intense situation and avoid getting up close and personal with Ava's pistol again, Johns offered his own take. "We need to think about everybody, especially the kid. He'll be scared out there in the dark." Shazza raised herself to her feet, having had enough of this nonsense. "Don't use him like that!" Her thick accent only seemed to make the words sound more menacing. "Like what?" Johns growled and Ava absently wondered if he would aim the gun at her, too. "Like a smokescreen. Deal with your fear." Shazza challenged, clearly unmoved by the man's threatening nature. He was, of course, the one responsible for her husband's death. "Why don't you shut up for two seconds and let me come up with a plan that doesn't involve mass suicide!" Ava had had enough of this pointless arguing. She was beginning to consider the very real option of simply leaving the man behind. "How much do you weigh?" Ava inquired, her eyes intent on the merc. There was a long period of silence as Johns seemed to deliberate weather or not to answer her. "What's it matter?" Johns snarled, his face only inches from hers. Ava audible released the snap on her holster, fingering the pistol and more than willing to threaten him again. "How much?!" She stated, her tone surprisingly level. "Around seventy-nine kilos, to be exact." Johns offered his answer, slowly backing away from the threatening woman. "Well you're seventy-nine kilos of gutless meat and that's why you can't think up a plan. You're dead weight and there's very little stopping me from just leaving you here." The argument had drawn to an abrupt close as the remaining survivors agreed that hiding in the container wasn't the best option. "Those Raptors may be out there in the dark but they're phobic about our light. The Xenos, however, don't fear a fuckin' thing." Ava mentioned casually, trying to emphasize the fact that to remain where they were would be far more suicidal than making a run for the skiff.

Riddick had watched the argument amusedly, garnering no small amount of satisfaction as he watched Ava not only put Johns in his place again but coolly take charge in her mission to save as many lives as possible. After the run in with the Xenomorph, even Riddick had to admit he had no desire to stay cooped up in the metal death trap any longer. He needed to get to the safety of the skiff and he wasn't about to leave without his mate. Unfortunately for Riddick, he knew that Ava wouldn't abandon the others; except, perhaps, for Johns. With Carolyn's help, Ava managed to get the survivors organized enough to gather the lighted tubing from the crash ship, ten bottles of liquor from Paris' coffin and a large sheet of metal to haul the power cells on. "This is all fine and dandy," Johns chimed up, much to everyone's chagrin. "But it's dark as shit out there, how we gonna find our way back? I sure as hell can't see in the dark!" Johns' defeatist attitude was fraying on everyone's nerves. "They can." Carolyn mentioned casually, her eyes focusing on Riddick and Ava. Riddick's glowing eyes focused on the blonde woman for a moment, a curious smirk on his face as if he were surprised to suddenly be so involved in their escape plan.

The group worked on the structure of the improvised sled, forming a haphazard pile of softly glowing tubes and power cells surrounded by cases of alcohol torches and flares. Riddick leaned against the crates, watching the hopeful survivors prepare for their descent into hell. Feeling Ava beside him, something that made his inner beast rumble contentedly, Riddick spoke softly. "First I'm public enemy number one now I'm their savior. Fuck this." Ava laid a gentle hand on his muscular arm; she'd been playing hero for nearly twenty years. "You'll get used to the idea. I was built for this, you're just learning. Either way, I'm not leaving a single soul behind. You with me, Riddick?" Ava told him, her voice sounding as assured in her roll as she thought he ought to be. Riddick felt her hand clasp his own giving him the opportunity to pull her out of the shadows until she was facing him. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, holding Ava against his firm body. She could feel her body heat rising at his close proximity, her own feral side answering his. "I'm with you." Riddick sighed, unable to deny Ava any more than he could deny himself the need for her body. "You actually like doing this shit?" He wondered aloud, a smirk playing across his lips. Ava shrugged. "It's my job. I've seen enough horrors in my time that I don't wanna repeat them in any way. Too many innocent people have died, guess it kinda bothers me." The melancholic look in Ava's eyes stirred something in Riddick that he knew meant he couldn't refuse her. Riddick could tell that the idea of loosing another survivor to the deadly planet would kill more of her spirit that he loved so much. Ava was their protector, their guardian and even if it meant sacrificing herself she wasn't about to fail them now. Riddick raised his free hand and laid it softly against her cheek allowing Ava to lean into his relaxing touch. Leaning forward, he placed a quick but passionate kiss on her lips as if silently sealing their pact. Ava wasn't going to abandon the survivors and he wasn't going to loose her.

There was little else to do as the group put the final touches on their improvised sled, looping the glowing tubes of light and piling them carefully until needed. Jack was still crouched on the floor, letting the light of a tube play through her fingers. She seemed distractedly fascinated by the orange glow of her flesh as the light played through it. Ava crouched beside the girl, the scent of the child's fear pungent in the air. Carefully, Ava placed her arm around Jack's shoulders, offering what strength she could. "I know you're scared, Jack. We all are, a little; even Riddick. You're scared of the monsters out there. Well, you know what? I'm the one who makes the monsters go away." Ava offered Jack a broad grin that disguised the confidence she had in her own abilities. She was certain, come hell or high water, that Jack was not going to die on this planet. Even if Ava had to give her own life, she would not let the brave girl be another sacrifice to the creatures that called this planet home. Briefly, Ava's mind was assaulted with her ancestor's memories and she wondered curiously if Newt would have been anything like Jack had she lived. Squeezing Jack's shoulder gently, Ava rose to her full height; a tall, lanky golem that vowed to protect the girl no matter what obstacles she had to face.

Riddick passed through the group of survivors who were busy making final preparations probably in the hopes that keeping busy would distract them from the terrifying journey ahead. "I'll be runnin' about ten paces ahead. I want the light at my back and not in my eyes; and check your cuts, these bad boys know our blood now." He paused briefly, glancing momentarily at Jack who could only gape at him with a mask of fear descending on her face. Ava watched the exchange, realizing it wouldn't have taken Riddick long to smell the blood on Jack. She only hoped he wouldn't give the girl away. Jack turned a baleful gaze toward Ava who offered the child a friendly wink of support. Ava only hoped the girl was as brave as she seemed. The survivors crowded around the sled, draping the softly glowing tubes around their bodies. Ava dropped her duffle with an audible thunk onto the metal floor of the container. She unzipped it casually, drawing out two more clips for her own weapons and quickly slamming them into place. Feeling satisfied that she had ammunition for her weapons, Ava drew out a much larger weapon and made a quick inspection of the loaded clip. The M41A Pulse Rifle felt gloriously heavy in her hands; it had been a long time since she'd handled one of the assault rifles commandeered from Weyland Industries. _They really should learn to watch where they leave their weapons. _Ava mused to herself as she wore a pleased smile. "You have guns!?" The voice of the female docking pilot called behind her in an incredulous tone. Ava peered over her shoulder, a wisp of a smile on her face. "Trust me, you don't wanna get up close and personal with a Xeno. These work better." Ava quipped, standing before the blonde woman and suddenly seeming shockingly tall.

It seemed a little like Christmas as Ava slung the pulse rifle over her shoulder and pulled another pistol from her bag. A brief inspection of the clip told her that it was full as Ava casually handed the weapon to Carolyn. "I don't have a lotta rounds, use it sparingly." She added, giving the docking pilot a curt nod of approval. Ava handed a modified Colt Commando automatic rifle to Shazza, who eyed the thing specutively before wrapping her slender hands around it. "Think you can handle this thing?" Ava asked, not intending to be rude but wondering if the Aussie might require something a bit more benign. Shazza nodded, feeling the unaccustomed weight of the weapon in her hands. "Forty round clip, armor piercing shells. Take it easy though, I only have the one clip for that gun." Ava explained garnering another nod from Shazza who slung the weapon over her shoulder as if she were a born soldier. Ava's faith in the Aussie was well placed. Ava had offered a pistol to Imam which the Holy Man politely refused. "I cannot take a life, Miss Ava." He explained although he really didn't need to. "Okay. Do me a favor, Imam. Watch the young ones for me." Ava stated slightly sullen that the Holy Man wouldn't be able to better protect himself. At least she could give him the task of watching the children and ensuring their safety.

Riddick stood nearest the sliding door, adjusting the strap of the lights that shone away from his back. Unceremoniously, Ava pressed the Pulse Rifle into his hands. Riddick quirked a brow at the unexpected surprise, although his hand tightened possessively around the weapon. "M41A Pulse Rifle. 99 round clip, 10 x 24 caseless armor-piercing ammunition, pump action 30 mm grenade launcher." Ava mentioned the weapon's statistics as she showed him exactly how the weapon worked. She knew that Riddick's military background would come in handy and he'd have no problems handling the weapon. Riddick still looked stunned that the woman would willingly offer him a firearm, no matter the circumstances. Ava smirked at his shocked appearance. "Wouldn't want your hand to melt off if you tried to slice open a Xeno." Riddick chuckled softly as he slung the weapon over his shoulder. "Where's your oversized automatic weapon?" He inquired, clearly in a joking manner. Ava made a derisive sound as she pulled a slender looking weapon from the bag. "I've got my pistols and Captain Fuego here." After a quick fuel check, Ava assured herself that the flamethrower was ready to go. Flipping a small switch on the side, the tip of the flamethrower glowed with a small tongue of blue flame. "Burn, Baby, Burn." Ava stated before flipping the weapon off again to save fuel. Riddick's smile was broad as he watched the woman carefully admiring her fire spouting weapon. Honestly, no woman had ever looked sexier. Johns brushed passed them, giving Ava a wide berth while staring daggers at the silver eyed convict. "What the fuck is this?! You gave him a firearm!" Johns growled, his blue eyes darting between Ava and Riddick. "I gave you one and I'm more worried that you'll shoot one of the survivors. At least Riddick will aim in the right direction." Ava quipped, effectively putting Johns in his place once again.

**Chapter Eleven: Descent Into Hell**

After carefully stowing her duffle on the sled, once she had removed a bandolier of grenades and flung them over her shoulder, Ava shouldered her flamethrower as the door to the container creaked open slowly. A maze of twisted debris lay before them and Ava studied it carefully, ensuring safe passage enough to fit the heavily laden sled through. Ducking down behind Riddick and Johns, she listened with benign interest to their exchange of words. Johns was the first to speak. "What's it look like?" Riddick raised his goggles to his forehead, giving him complete access to his shined vision. "Looks clear." He stated matter-of-factly. Ava raised her hand, gesturing for the rest of the group to begin their trek. With a whooping scream, a hidden Bioraptor swooped out of the darkness but was deterred by the lights the survivors carried. "I thought you said clear!" Johns shouted as he ducked down to avoid the beast. "I said it LOOKED clear." Riddick growled, readjusting the gun on his shoulder as his eyes peered into the darkened tumult ahead of them. "What's it look like now?" Johns ventured to ask, clearly irritated. Riddick turned to him with a playful smirk across his face. "Looks clear." He stated with no small amount of sarcasm. Ava could barely contain the chuckle that fell from her lips as Johns turned a baleful glare in her direction.

The group pressed on across the darkened surface of the desert planet. Riddick remained ahead of the others, acting as their guide in the darkness while Ava positioned herself at the side of the group despite her own night vision capabilities. An attack wouldn't only come from the front. Swarms of Bioraptors surrounded them, parting like the red sea as the irritating glow of light passed through them. Any creature that ventured to close to the sled was warded off with a quick ignition of Ava's flamethrower that she preferred to use only sparingly to conserve fuel. The creatures screamed piteously as spouts of flame issued from her weapon, darting back into the protective embrace of the darkness. The loss of one of the flares caused Jack to pause and double back, inching dangerously away from protection of the sled. Ava heard Shazza call Jack's name as the girl reached her slender fingers toward the insignificant tube on the ground. Ava turned abruptly at the sounds of panic just in time to see Imam pull the girl from the snapping jaws of a descending Bioraptor. A spout of flame shot into the air to ward off any other attempted attacks as Ava watched the survivors scramble to regain their composure. Shazza had become hopelessly entangled in her own light tube, tumbling over a rock at her feet and falling well beyond the reach of the tube itself. It pulled free of the power cells, instantly dousing the soothing blue illumination. The world was once again immersed in complete darkness, save for the occasional orange flare of Ava's flamethrower. A scream cut the darkness, drawing Ava's attention; all she could do was watch in horror as Shazza's body was torn limb from limb by hungry winged creatures. Screaming out her frustration, Ava charged toward the feeding frenzy, firing her pistol despite the fact that she knew it was too late. The creatures scurried away, leaving their dead comrade laying in a puddle of blue blood beside the corpse of Shazza.

Hopelessness descended on her as Ava fell to he knees and screamed into the darkness. "Fuck!" Another life lost uselessly under her watchful guard. An eerie green glow surrounded her followed by a warming, peaceful voice. "Miss Ava?" Imam stated quietly, hoping their female savior wasn't loosing her grip on sanity. "I'm gonna loose everyone. Again." Ava muttered, only loud enough for the Holy Man to hear. "It was not your fault, Miss Ava. You were too far away, you could have done nothing to save her." She knew Imam's words were heartfelt and meant for her own support but that did little to assuage the guilt that ate away at her as it had for most of her life. Ava sighed and stood, brushing sand from her knees. Turning back toward the sled, her haunted eyes met Imam's. "I'm always too far away." She muttered sadly as she rejoined the remainder of the survivors. Passing Jack's frail form she heard the child say softly: "It's my fault. If I hadn't stopped…." She seemed close to tears and Ava glance back to the girl knowing she needed her support. "It's okay, Jack." Ava stated plainly, some of the fire gone from her.

With only the green glow of the flares, the group was forced to press on. The whooping cries of their pursuers filled the night ensuring that the survivors were fully aware they were not alone. The group skidded to a sudden halt and Ava nearly collided with Johns, too busy watching the world around them and the dangers that lurked only a few feet from their hastily prepared caravan. Johns grunted as their bodies collided, turning abruptly toward the tall brunette who only gave him a glance of pure annoyance. With a sneer he pushed the ignited end of her flamethrower away from his body. "Don't point that fuckin' thing anywhere near me." Johns growled and for once, Ava had no interest in arguing with him. She doused the small blue flame and shouldered the weapon, taking a few long strides to where Riddick had suddenly paused. His silver eyes gazed into the darkened canyon ahead, eerily aware of the hordes of winged creatures that waited for their mobile meal. "Why have we stopped?" Imam's accented voice called from behind them, clearly concerned about moving forward and getting to safety that much quicker. Riddick remained silent, his eyes never leaving the dangerous territory ahead. Ava's own vision, although not as enhanced as Riddick's, was able to absorb the details of the canyon in shades of midnight blue. The creatures were silhouetted darkly in her field of vision but she could make out all of them clearly; and there were more than a few. Johns was searching the ground, noticing an eerily familiar set of footprints and the signs of something heavy having been dragged over some of them. "We've covered our tracks. We went in a big damn circle!" Johns grumbled, shooting an angry glance at the back of Riddick's bald head as the convict continued to ignore him. "Do you even know where we are?" Imam countered, suddenly wondering if letting Riddick be their guide had been such a good idea.

Riddick raised a hand, shushing the survivors who ignored the gesture and continued arguing amongst themselves. "Quiet!" Riddick roared, drawing everyone's attention; everyone except Ava. "I circled around to buy some time to think." Riddick answered, pointing his hand in the direction of the canyon. "That's death row up there, especially with the girl bleeding." Riddick's mercury orbs met Johns' chilly blue stare as the merc stood dumbfounded for a few moments. "What the hell are you talkin' about?! Carolyn ain't cut….unless your fucking girlfriend is hiding something that's been leading these things right to us!" Johns' voice cut to a low growl, his eyes darting toward Ava who only passed him another annoyed glance. Riddick turned his gaze from the merc toward Carolyn and finally toward Jack. "Not them….her." He stated blandly, pointing directly at the bald headed teen.

All eyes turned toward the girl who instantly dropped to the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees and rocking helplessly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You should've left me at the ship. I thought if everyone took me for a guy no one would mess with me." Jack was close to tears as Carolyn crouched beside her, desperately trying to console the girl while her mind swam with the new threat she brought. "This is just fuckin' great!" Johns grumbled, drifting off slightly to vent his anger with a bellowing roar. Ava turned a baleful glance toward Riddick, angry at him for outing the girl in such a manner. "Tactful." She grumbled, passing by him toward the terrified girl. Ava crouched beside Jack, her eyes meeting Carolyn's for a brief moment. "I'm sorry, Jack. You didn't do anything wrong. Remember what I told you in the container? I'll keep the monsters away, Kiddo, even if it costs me my own life." Jack's green eyes, red and swollen with tears, glanced toward her unofficial female protector. A small smile tugged at her lips as she suddenly imagined Ava to be a superhero from a comic book. She knew, somewhere deep inside of her, that Ava and Riddick wouldn't let her die on this planet. Satisfied that she had eased the girl's fears, Ava stood from her crouched position, her gaze traveling toward Riddick who was casually leaning against a rock with his own eyes glued on her.

Ava was crouched, just at the edge of the calming light of the green flares. She was peering in the direction they had come in, intently watching the darkness and the swarms of creatures that were waiting and hoping for the painful light to die out. It wasn't the Bioraptors that concerned her at this moment. The absence of the second Xenomorph Drone had been plaguing her ever since they had left the container and Ava had begun to wonder what the hard shelled beast was thinking. They weren't the type of creatures to give up so easily and clearly it didn't fear the flying menace that sailed through the darkened sky above their heads. "What is it?" Riddick's deep voice poured over Ava from somewhere behind her. She'd heard footsteps approaching but was too intent on the world around her to care much about who it was. Ava straightened her long legs, standing slowly. "We're being tracked. That damn Xeno has been hunting us since we left. Probably waiting until we get closer to the settlement to make it's move. Doesn't want us dead, it just needs more incubators." Ava's dark eyes turned to him, the seriousness of her tone bringing a new sense of dread to their already precarious situation. "And…you know this how?" Riddick stated, wondering if she'd seen the thing already and when she was going to inform him. Ava would have smirked if she wasn't so worried, unsure of the creature's exact location. "The Queen. I can still hear her thoughts, just snippets though. She's having her errand boy follow us. We need to get moving." Ava turned a last, searching glance toward the darkened world before reemerging into the soft glow of green light that surrounding the reposing survivors.

Urgency can go a long way when you're being hunted. Ava insisted that they press on and make a run for the canyon despite the danger of Jack attracting unwanted attention. She maintained her vigil while Johns and Riddick took their posts at the front of the group. Ava's sensitive ears strained to hear the conversation ahead of her, knowing it couldn't possibly be about their favorite football team. Johns and Riddick were walking side by side in a seemingly uneasy alliance. "When field medics decide who lives and who dies it's called triage." Johns mentioned absently, his eyes fixed on the path ahead illuminated by the light of his shotgun. Riddick wore a slight smirk, glad for the darkness that prevented Johns from seeing it. "Kept calling it murder when I did it." He replied snidely. Johns made a derisive sound before unfolding his sinister plan. "I don't wanna die out here and I'm sure as hell you don't. Maybe even that freakin' Amazon will survive, too. The rest of 'em ain't all gonna make it but we can increase their odds." Johns laid out the bait as Riddick gave him a sidelong glance, a sign he was at least listening. "Listen, you do the girl and I'll keep the others off your back. We just use the extra rope to drag her behind the sled. I'm not interested in feeding the things, just keeping them from wanting to snack on us." Johns continued as Riddick quickened his stride to attempt to put some distance between himself and the merc. He was beginning to think the convict was ignoring him, watching as the bald headed man drew further ahead. Johns jogged up beside Riddick, eager to get some form of response from the man. "I'll sweeten the deal. Weyland will pay a lot of money for the rest of 'em. They'd make great disposable hosts and we can just claim everyone died in the crash. I'll split the money with you fifty-fifty and maybe even let your little girlfriend live."

Riddick paused mid stride, turning toward the merc who wore a look of utter accomplishment. Ava raised her hand silently, an instinct born of her military training, as she called to the rest of the survivors to halt immediately. Ava glanced back toward Carolyn, the only other person who could protect the survivors should anything happen to her. "Nobody move. Stay in the light." Ava mentioned as she made the long trek toward the face off that was beginning at the mouth of the canyon ahead. Riddick's growling voice could be heard even over the whooping din above her. "I'm thinkin' we might need a bigger piece of bait." Not willing to waste any precious ammo on Johns, Riddick tossed the pulse rifle until it landed at Ava's feet and drew his shiv to face off against the man who wanted to murder innocent people to save his own hide and make a profit. Riddick stepped forward, his blade at the ready, slicing with such speed that it was barely a measurable movement. Johns dodged the initial attack, drawing his shotgun and aiming it at Riddick, intent on making quick work of the convict. His shot flew wide as Ava lunged at him, kicking his arm and sending the shotgun skidding across the sand. Johns grasped his bruised elbow, turning his dark gaze toward Ava who offered him a hiss of challenge as she raised the flamethrower in his direction. "Stay outta this, you bitch!" Johns roared as he was suddenly tackled from the side by the enraged convict. They pitched to the ground, rolling dangerously away from the safety of the life preserving light. Ava wrestled in her own mind for which action to take. Even with her enhanced vision, it was impossible for her to take an accurate shot as the two men struggled for Riddick's shiv; she would run a serious risk of hitting Riddick instead.

Pinned to the ground with his own blade dangerously close to his neck, Riddick pushed back against Johns' strength eventually kicking the merc off of him and pitching the man over his head. No sooner had Riddick stood back on his feet when Johns lunged at him again, stumbling into him awkwardly and dislocating his arm at the elbow. Riddick raised himself, awkwardly onto his feet, glancing at Johns and casually replacing the joint as if he were only flexing a muscle. Ava stepped forward, her flamethrower shouldered and one of her pistols trained on the psychotic merc. Glancing at her, Riddick gave a stern warning. "Don't. This is my kill." His hematite gaze turned toward Johns who's chest was heaving with exertion while his blue eyes darted between Ava and Riddick, wondering which one would attack first. Unfortunately, there was another danger looming far too close for comfort. As Riddick's eyes narrowed on his enemy, a few drops of thick liquid fell beside him making silent indentations in the sand. A shiny, black carapace glinted in the meager light of Riddick's harness that lay on the ground behind him. Ava heard the low hiss from above and glanced toward the eerily familiar noise. Her eyes trailed up the rock ledge behind them and toward the oblong shaped head that appeared at it's summit. The Xeno's lips curled upward, revealing it's oddly colored teeth that dripped copious amounts of thick saliva.

Frozen for a moment as the Xenomorph began to prepare for it's descent down the rock ledge, Ava slowly, raised her pistol in it's direction. "Riddick! Move, now!" Ava called suddenly as his eyes darted toward her before being drawn away by the ear splitting squeal above them. Rolling out of harm's way, Riddick managed to collect the pulse rifle from where he'd tossed it before rising to his feet again with the weapon trained in the direction he thought the thing had gone. Briefly it seemed to have disappeared until his eyes fell on a grizzly yet rewarding sight. Johns was held in the Xenomorph's long, clawed fingers while he desperately attempted to raise his shotgun for a killing blow. The Xeno's head shook and trembled as it's lips curled upward again, moments before the secondary mouth shot out at lightning speed directly into the Merc's cranium. Behind Ava and Riddick, the survivors had begun panicking apparently catching a glimpse of the reappearance of the ultimate predator. Raising the pulse rifle to his shoulder, Riddick opened fire on the Xenomorph which, aware of it's own mortality, dodged the shots with a swaying motion before disappearing again across the desert. "Shit!" Riddick grumbled, unable to believe the speed and agility of the endoparasitoid alien. "We need to get outta here, now!" Ava shouted, brandishing her flamethrower again in case the Xeno made a sudden return.

Riddick and Ava appeared out of the darkness, the soft blue glow of the flamethrower announcing their return. "Is it just you two? Where's Johns?" Carolyn chimed up glancing between Riddick and Ava nervously. Beside her, Jack fidgeted with the long sleeves of her top, desperately trying to pull them over her hands as if it would give her some kind of additional protection from the midnight black beast they all know they saw. "Which half?" Riddick answered with a form of sarcastic humor. Carolyn only gaped at him, her mouth slightly open as if she should have been surprised by such a comment from the criminal. Ava followed behind him, offering a slightly friendlier grin to the blonde docking pilot. "He had a close encounter of the Xeno kind." She added, barely able to hide her joy that Johns was no longer an additional danger. Jack seemed close to tears as she stared out at the darkness that had apparently swallowed another member of their group. It wasn't as it she'd had a fondness for the man, but the survival rate of the rest of her companions was looking grim. Riddick walked behind the bald headed girl who wanted to be so much like him. "Don't you cry for Johns. Don't you dare." He rumbled even as the cruel fate the merc had had in store for the girl still skirted through his mind.

**Chapter Twelve: The Gauntlet**

After insisting that the survivors take another temporary respite, Ava slowly made her way toward the pile of Bioraptor bones Riddick was currently studying. "Blind spot." Riddick muttered to himself as he admired the hammerhead shaped skeleton while holding a portion of the head that had broken off. "They have another weakness." Ava mentioned casually, leaning against the rocks beside the massive bone structure. "Advantage, us." She continued, sounding somewhat sarcastic. Riddick let the bone fall from his fingers, quickly making his way back to his previous task of retying the ropes to make dragging the cells easier. They had abandoned the idea of the sled once they had stopped as it was only slowing down progress. Riddick busied himself with the ties, ignoring the slight smirk on Ava's face. "So, how was your first real taste of Xeno agility? Fast fuckers, aren't they?" His glowing eyes met hers, the only illumination in the darkness besides the light he kept slung over his shoulders. "Yeah, but I'm sure they die like everything else." Ava smirked, desperately trying to hide her exhaustion as she toyed with the fuel container and tubes that connected it to the rest of the flame thrower. The weapon had been sputtering despite the half full container of fuel it still boasted. Ava grimaced at the badly frayed line that practically fell apart in her hand as she attempted to tighten the seal. "Fucking useless Weyland Industries piece of shit!" Ava growled as she tossed the now useless flame thrower to the ground. Leaning forward with her hands on her knees, She panted heavily and tried to still her growing rage.

Riddick's silver eyes ghosted over her form, seeing her exhaustion for the first time. A mask of concern morphed his features as Riddick abandoned the knot he'd been working on reaching out to Ava and clasping her hand tightly. It may have been an act meant for support as he watched the self assured woman fall apart before his eyes or an unconscious desire for her touch. Riddick's inner beast rumbled contentedly at the plutonic contact as his fingers rubbed gently over the softness of her hand. "Why don't you sit down before you fall over." Riddick stated, making it sound more of a command than he intended. Ava raised herself to her full height again although she did not break the contact with his hand. "You ordering me around, now?" She quipped, a rather pleased smile stretching across her face. Riddick quirked a brow as if initiating a challenge although the rest of his face seemed to retain his usual stoic demeanor. "I could, but I doubt you'd listen. You just look tired, is all." He said as he returned to the task of adjusting the knot work on the power cells. Ava slid down to the ground, remaining in a crouched position and leaning her head against the rock behind her. In the silence of the darkened planet the disconcerting whooping calls of the Bioraptors filled the night reminding Ava just how much was at stake. Her agitation at having missed another chance to kill the second Drone only made the situation that much harder to bear. "You know, when I signed on for this mission I had no idea it was gonna end up as a bug hunt. Not that I don't enjoy killing the things." Ava mused aloud, offering Riddick a sidelong glance since he'd given no indication that he'd heard her. "I guess it must be a little bit of the old Ripley. Maybe part of me is just lookin' for a little payback." Ava shifted her gaze toward Riddick who was still intent on fumbling with the ropes on the power cells, having finally relinquished Ava's hand. Crouching down beside him, Ava nonchalantly retrieved one of her pistols, checking the remaining rounds before repeating the process with the other.

For the briefest of moments, the constant whooping had died down a bit giving Riddick and Ava some much needed peace from the barrage of noise. Ava felt every one of her muscles tense, the fine hairs on her body standing up as the air vibrated with the beating of leather wings. She actually felt a shutter run up her spine at the thought of what flew just above their heads and what lurked around in the darkness. The Drone was near, she felt it just as a few of the Bioraptors seemed to scatter in the darkness. Even they knew better than to mess with the new kings of the planet. For a brief moment she saw in her mind the very vision of the creature hunting them. Well, not so much hunting as herding. The black hunter lurked nearby, watching the survivors and most intently watching her. Ava knew she would become the new danger to the group just by sharing the psychic link with the creature, one that ultimately connected her to the Queen. "We're gonna have to move soon." Ava muttered, as much to herself as to Riddick. His glowing eyes met her dark ones for a moment. "It isn't safe here. The drone is watching us, I can see it in my head. He's not looking for his next meal, he's gonna take us to the Queen. If we don't get off this rock we're gonna be the next generation." The very thought of that sent another shiver down Ava's spine and Riddick could feel the tension pulsing off of her as if it were infrasound. It gave Riddick an unsettling feeling as if he were sharing in her fear. "You gonna be okay? Not gonna fall apart on me, are you?" Riddick mentioned, almost absently and he hoped it didn't come out sounding as cold as he thought it might have. Ava offered him a smile of assurance. "No. I've taken on entire hives of these things. Of course I had back up and better toys." Ava mentioned casually as she idly fingered the handle of one of her pistols. Riddick made a derisive sound and she wasn't sure if he accepted her answer or not. Still, she was Ava Ripley, she was designed and built for this; it was literally in her DNA. "Good." Riddick commented. "No matter what happens to the rest of 'em, you remember your promise." A smile crept across Ava's face. That was one promise she intended on keeping.

Her eyes drifted toward the darkness, the midnight blue of her vision absorbing the world around her. A subtle green glow caught Ava's attention as Imam approached slowly. "Would you like to pray with me? I have already prayed with the others, it is painless." The Holy Man quipped, his dark gaze darting between Riddick and Ava. "It's pointless." Riddick muttered, secretly hoping the Hoodoo Holy Man would just go away. Imam's face remained passive, as was his gentle nature, as he responded. "Just because you do not believe in God, does not mean he does not believe in you." Riddick's silver eyes glanced up, slightly irritated by the green glow of the flare. "Think someone could spend half their life in a slam with a horse bit in their mouth and not believe? Think he could start out in some liquor store trash bin with an umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and not believe? Got it all wrong, Holy Man. I absolutely believe in God….and I absolutely hate the fucker." Imam's mouth narrowed into a thin line as he listened to Riddick's rant and despite being dismissed he felt a pang of sympathy for the bald convict. Someone who had never had a chance at a good life, all normalcy and happiness denied him and yet here he was risking his neck for strangers who would have left him chained in the ship to die. With a sigh, Imam turned his attention to Ava who merely shook her head. "Don't look at me. I'm just your friendly neighborhood science project." Ava hated to sound so cruel but as far as she was concerned, God had little to do with her creation. Bishop had conceived and engineered Project Ripley from the very beginning until the moment Ava and her twenty three sisters had been released from their preservation tubes. Could not he, a synthetic humanoid, be considered a God in his own right? Having brought forth life from insignificant samples of DNA over four hundred years old might make one feel a little transcendent. Ava rose to her feet, her knees aching a little with the strain. "Sorry, Imam. Not feeling very holy right now. Go back and tell the others we need to get moving again. It isn't safe here." The Holy Man nodded silently, drifting away into the darkness from whence he came with only the small flare to light his way.

The last leg of the run lay before them, although they were still some distance away from the mining colony. It seemed too daunting, like a gauntlet filled with the whooping calls of the Bioraptors and the ever present danger of the final Drone. High cliffs rose on either side, making a long tunnel of death as the raptors swooped and dove at the survivors, frightened off by the meager lights they now carried. Most of the flares had spent themselves out and the remaining survivors, now numbering only six, had resorted to the liquor torches that only fluttered with flames fed by the alcohol in the bottles. Carolyn, Imam, Jack and the last of the Holy Man's charges, huddled together with the improvised torches in their hands. "Let's move! And keep the girl between you!" Riddick ordered, his hands tightly gripping the ropes that held the power cells. "Move!" He shouted again as he pressed forward as quickly as the heavy weight he dragged would allow. They rushed through the canyon, pushed on by Riddick behind them, while Ava made her way toward the front allowing her night vision to do them a little good. A sticky, blue substance fell from the sky onto their clothes and skin feeling frighteningly warm. "What is this?" Carolyn muttered to herself as the substance dripped onto her arm and slowly fell away drawn over her skin by gravity. "Do not look up!" Riddick roared just as Carolyn did the very thing she was told not to. "They're killing each other!" She cried as Riddick's firm body knocked into her moments before a dying Bioraptor tumbled from the sky. "Do not stop!" Riddick roared at Carolyn who scrambled to her feet and hustled to rejoin the tightly packed group.

The rain of blood threatened to douse the flames of their torches. Ava considered, shockingly, that the Bioraptors were much smarter than they seemed. Their attempt to use their own blood as a form of sacrificial rain was rather ingenious. Ava paused and glanced back at the sound of a blood curdling scream as Riddick hustled passed her still dragging the heavy cells. "Do not stop, Ava! You can't help them." Riddick growled in a desperate attempt to continue forward with Ava and with or without the rest of the survivors. Giving Riddick only a passing glance, Ava doubled back toward the sounds of the screams as Imam and Carolyn attempted to wrest his final charge from the death grip of a fallen Bioraptor. Ava slid to a stop, drawing her pistol and managing to shoot off the arm of the raptor with pinpoint precision. The grateful boy glanced at her, his pale eyes thanking Ava as he muttered something in Arabic. "Hurry up. Get him outta there. We gotta keep moving." Ava commanded, returning her side arm to it's holster. She glanced around, only now aware of Jack's absence. "Jack?" Ava called, hoping the girl had only ducked for cover and would appear at any moment. "Jack!?" Ava called louder, turning suddenly as the bald headed girl drifted further away from the group crying out desperately for Riddick to wait. Ahead of them, Riddick's strong silhouette paused only briefly as he stood atop an incline just as the pitter patter of raindrops began to descend on the group. _Fucking shit! _Ava growled inwardly at their new state of bad luck. _What the hell more do we need?!" _Above them, standing on the ridge, Riddick called back: "Where is your God now, Holy Man?" Riddick's deep voice vibrated through the canyon, sounding very much like thunder. Ava's eyes darted between Riddick and Jack as she incredulously watched the convict stare her down from his position on the precipice.

Jack inched further away from the safety of the group with only the meager light of a torch to light her way. "Riddick! Wait!" Jack called, seemingly oblivious to the danger lurking above her. Her green eyes focused on the silhouetted form of the bald convict, her dark hero, who seemed indecisive at best. Ava crept toward Jack, hoping to drag the girl out of harm's way but the passing breeze and sound of flapping wings made her heart freeze over. "Jack! Down!" Ava called, fumbling briefly with one of her pistols as she tore the snap away that held it in it's holster and drew out the weapon aiming it at the hammer headed monster that currently had the teen trapped beneath an oversized set of rib bones. The creature was intent on it's meal, slamming it's rigid beak repeatedly into the rib bone that threatened to give way at any moment. "Get the fuck away from her!" Ava called as she placed three shot's into the beast's body drawing profuse amounts of blood from it's side and abdomen. The beast seemed unperturbed as it continued it's desperate quest to make Jack it's next meal.

It happened in an instant, a flash of movement so quick even Ava was amazed. A slender, barbed tail protruded through the midsection of the Bioraptor as a squeal of pain erupted from the impaled creature. It struggled frantically to free itself from the sharp, bony protrusion; it's hammer-like head swaying desperately back and forth as it attempted to latch onto the thing that had given it a mortal wound. The Xenomorph drone had dug it's long claws into the wall of the cliff hanging nearly upside down as it brought the flailing Bioraptor toward it's elongated head. The Drone eyed it's prey momentarily as if it enjoyed watching the animal's final struggle for life. Unceremoniously, the Drone's lips curled upward and it's secondary mouth jutted out as quickly as a piston instantly ending the Bioraptor's struggle for life. The drone flung it's tail like a whip, tossing the raptor away as if it had been little more than a piece of trash before slowly making it's descent down the cliff wall toward it's new prey. "Jack!" Ava urged to the girl who remained whimpering beneath the nearly shattered rib bones that served as her only protection. "Move! Now!" Ava cried as she reached desperately for Jack's arm in the hopes of pulling her out of the natural cage and away to safety. The bones creaked beneath the weight of the Drone as it stared only inches from Ava's face. It curled it's lips, teeth dripping with saliva, as it let out a low and challenging hiss.

Time seemed to stand still for the briefest of moments as Ava and the Drone stared one another down. It's eyeless carapace glittered dimly in the dusky light of the torches that flickered behind Ava, enhanced slightly by the raindrops that beaded and dripped passed it's face. Ava's dark eyes centered on the creature before it, watching intently although she herself remained as still as a statue. It was a game of wills, a challenge of two feral things facing off and waiting to see who would make a move first. Another eerie hiss emanated from the Drone as it's head reared back slightly, poised to strike. Ava took the opportunity and, crouching quickly, she rolled backward and away from the immediate danger of the Drone's mouth. Her pistol ready, with five rounds remaining, aimed directly for the thick head of the drone just as it's tail slammed into the ground only inches from her arm. Ava's finger depressed the trigger but her shot's flew wide moments before she rolled away from the dangerous barbed tail that jutted out of the muddy ground. A dull thud sounded from her left as the tail whipped around and stabbed into the ground beside her again. "Dammit!" Ava cursed, rolling to the right to avoid the whip-like tail that was strong and wickedly pointed. The Drone let out a scream of defiance as Ava attempted to scramble to her feet, desperately trying to free her other and still fully loaded pistol. A sharp pain flared through her left shoulder as the Drone's tail struck her and sent Ava flying into the rock wall behind her with a dull thud. Despite Ava's higher than normal bone density and resistance to pain, her entire body screamed with agony at the impact. More frighteningly, Ava had lost her loaded pistol as she flew across the canyon. "Shit!" Ava cursed as she scrambled out of reach of the tail that whipped passed her head, cutting through the air with a whistling sound.

Crouching down as the Drone continued to pursue her, Ava pulled her bone dagger from her boot and held it out before her as if it had been a sacred sword. "Come on!" Ava urged as the Drone leapt toward Ava, prompting her to fall backward instantly and use her feet to propel it back and over her head. The Drone squealed with irritation and doubled back with impossible speed, descending on Ava with a low hiss. Something stuck the side of the Drone's head, drawing it's attention away from it's current pursuit. Jack had crawled half way out of the bones and was tossing rocks and mud at the overly irritated Drone. It hissed defiantly and let out a piercing scream that echoed strangely between the walls of rock around them. Thoroughly distracted, the drone leaped at Jack just as she scrambled beneath the safety of the bones again. Long, slender fingers with dagger-like claws reached between the giant bones in an attempt to drag the young teen from her hiding place. Jack screamed as the talons made contact with her flesh, rending deep gouges in her left arm that instantly began to weep a thick stream of blood. Egged on by the scent of blood, the Drone repeatedly hammered it's piston like mouth protrusion into the bones that were now nearly cracked through. Ava howled angrily at the Drone, hoping to garner it's attention but the Xeno only gave her a passing glance before returning to what it considered easier prey. Prey that didn't fight back.

A deep, bestial roar echoed across the canyon as Riddick pulled his goggles off of his head and charged toward the Drone, striking the creature with a few well placed shots of the pulse rifle. The Drone spun around to face the new threat, it's whip-like tail swinging out wildly and striking firmly against Riddick's weaponized arm. The pulse rifle was tossed toward the rock wall, leaving Riddick only armed with his shiv. The Drone attempted another attack with it's tail, perhaps in a vain attempt to simply ward off the new enemy so it could continue it's single minded pursuit of Jack. Riddick caught the tail beneath his arm, holding it securely and knowing should he release it the barbed appendage could cause a serious injury. Raising his shiv with a venomous growl, Riddick sliced through the Drone's tail easily; separating the dangerous appendage from it's owner. Tossing the severed extremity away, Riddick dodged and rolled away from the flailing and angry Drone to avoid the spray of it's acidic blood. Crouching on one knee, Riddick held his shiv out before him as he watched the Xeno turn on him with an irritated hiss. To Riddick's dismay, his shiv had melted down to the handle making the weapon now useless. "Riddick!" Ava's voice called from his left, drawing his attention for a brief moment as she tossed her bone knife toward him which he caught in mid air. Pleased with the new weapon, Riddick held the handle firmly with the blade pressed against his forearm as he poised himself for his next attack. There was a blood curdling roar from Riddick as well as a shrill scream from the Drone as they charged at one another, each intent on the other's destruction. Riddick ducked the Xeno's initial attack as it's teeth clattered together only inches from the convict's own face. He spun around as the Drone circled him, hissing and creeping along the ground like some sort of twisted cat. The drone hissed and lunged again, another attack that missed as Riddick dodged to the side, eventually leaping onto the creature's bony back. The drone screamed and flailed as it struggled against Riddick who drove the bone knife deep into the Xeno's neck just below the oblong head. Leaping away to avoid the spray of acidic blood, Riddick watched as the Drone, unaware of it's own mortality, turned on him again and charged despite the long dagger sticking out of it's neck.

Two large hands gripped either side of the Drone's head as it's secondary mouth darted out repeatedly, only missing Riddick's face by a fraction of an inch. Enraged and now tired of this game, Riddick snapped the Drone's neck as if it had been made of paper mache. He let the body of the creature fall into the mud at his feet, staring down at the Xeno as if it were an insignificant thing. The Drone twitched for a moment before it stilled completely. "Did NOT know who it was fuckin' with!" Riddick ground out as he turned his glowing eyes toward Ava who slowly rose to her feet, obviously impressed with Riddick's kill. Slowly she strode toward him, her face slightly obscured by long strands of her wet hair that clung to her skin in dark waves. Ava bent over and unceremoniously drew the bone dagger from the dead Drone's neck before sliding the blade along it's slender, black arm. Holding one of it's deadly, taloned fingers in one hand, Ava sliced the digit off with the dagger and squeezed it briefly allowing a drop of acidic blood to pool at the severed knuckle. Glancing up, Ava approached Riddick who stood stoically beside his kill. Her dark gaze met his lustrous orbs, silently conveying her desire to him. After a long silence, Ava spoke. "Strictly speaking, I'm not supposed to do this but you have proved yourself against the Kainde Amedha. You may now be blooded as a Sain'ja….a warrior. Do you wish this?" Ava's eyes searched Riddick's own although his betrayed no emotion. It wasn't hard for Riddick to understand what she meant as his fingers reached up and traced the own mark on the cleft of her jaw. Wordlessly, Riddick turned his head and waited for whatever Ava intended to do. Slowly, she reached up with the blood tipped appendage and carefully applied it to Riddick's jaw. The flesh sizzled as the acidic blood touched it while Ava traced the symbol of her adopted clan into Riddick's flesh. To her great surprise, Riddick only grunted once as his jaw tensed until the act had been completed.

With a final swipe downward, Ava finished the design and tossed the severed finger away. Riddick's face slowly turned back to her, his luminescent eyes glowing in the near pitch blackness that surrounded them. Ava offered him a smile that conveyed her pride in him and something else that seemed to sparkle in her eyes. "You are now Honored Ooman among my clan. This mark is the proof of your prowess against D'yeka, ultimate prey. I don't know if it will be accepted but I will defend you and your honor with my life." Ava told him, her gaze portraying her absolute sincerity. She let out a soft chuckle, breaking the intensity of the moment. "I'm probably gonna be in a lot of trouble."

Ava doubled back toward Jack, helping her to struggle out from under the collapsed rib bones. "You okay, Jack? Lemme take a look at your arm." Ava stated quietly, placing her hand a few inches below the deep gouges on Jack's upper arm. "Here. Sorry about this, Kiddo." Ava said as she tore a piece of cloth from the hem of Jack's shirt. Ava wrapped it tightly around the wound, tying it off to prevent more blood loss. "You'll be okay." Ava stated with a kind smile. "You got a battle wound. Someday you'd make a fine warrior." Ava led Jack back toward the remaining survivors who were cowering against the rock wall. "We need to keep moving. Those Raptors aren't going to stop until they've killed every last one of us." Ava mentioned casually, noting the weariness on all of their faces. Imam's last boy, held aloft by the Holy Man and Carolyn, panted heavily and grimaced in pain. Ava sighed, glancing down at the badly injured leg. Blood seeped from the wound in a thick stream and his inability to walk on his own would hinder their escape and slow the rest of the group. "Hang on. I've got something that might help him." Ava pulled a vial of green, iridescent liquid from one of the pockets of her vest. It glowed faintly in the darkness as she cautiously approached the boy. "This is special medicine, from a special friend." Ava whispered to the boy although he couldn't understand her. Tearing a piece of his long shirt, Ava poured the thick liquid onto the cloth and carefully wrapped it around the boy's wound. The boy hissed in pain and uttered some phrase in Arabic that Ava could not understand. Working quickly, Ava tied off the makeshift bandage although she knew the affects wouldn't be felt for a few hours. At least, hopefully, the boy wouldn't bleed to death. Pocketing the rest of the green liquid, Ava rose to her feet, nodding reassuringly at Imam.

The group pressed on, much slower than either Ava or Riddick would have liked. The slick, muddy surface of the planet combined with the slight incline made the going that much slower. "Are we close!?" Carolyn shouted, her back pressed against the rock wall behind her as the group paused for a moment, letting Riddick assess how far from the settlement they still were. "Can you see the colony?!" Carolyn's voice was nearly swallowed by the relentless patter of the rain and the beating of wings overhead. Riddick's glowing eyes surveyed the long path they still had to take. With the injured boy, the weariness of the remaining survivors and the fact that he still had to drag the heavy cells the remaining distance to the skiff the outlook was very grim. "We're not gonna make it." He stated, almost sullenly, to himself as he chanced a glance back at Ava who only shook her head, willing him not to disappear over the ridge with the power cells and abandon them to a horrible fate.

Riddick considered the only plan that seemed plausible at the moment. "Hide here!" He growled, pushing a large bone away from the mouth of a small cavern. Imam, Jack, his last remaining charge and Carolyn ducked inside quickly, eager to be out of the rain and out of danger. Ava paused at the mouth of the cavern, watching the rain create a veil between herself and Riddick. As if she had read his mind, Ava stated: "You're coming back, right? I can't keep that promise if you leave me here and I sure as hell aren't leaving them." Riddick's silver gaze met hers, a swirling mix of warring emotions churning within them. Slowly, wordlessly Riddick held the bone dagger out to her making Ava cock her head in slight confusion. Ava made no move to take back her most precious possession which was now the only thing linking her to Riddick. "You can give it back to me when you return." Ava stated confidentally, although she was unsure of the certainty of Riddick's return. With his lips drawn into a thin line, Riddick stuffed the dagger into his belt as his hands reached up to cup Ava's cheeks. Riddick placed a kiss on Ava's lips that spoke volumes of his hidden emotions, the very ones he'd sworn he had no use for. Ava's eyes closed as she tasted him, the sweet musky flavor mixed with the cool drops of rain that poured over them. Pulling away, Riddick let his hand linger on her soft cheek for a moment before he reluctantly tore the appendage away from her. With a last, lingering gaze, Riddick turned away from her, his mate, dragging the cells behind him without looking back."

Ava slid in through the small crack of space between the bone and the opening of the cavern, pulling the only thing that could protect them in front of the opening. "Why is he still out there?" Jack inquired softly, although her voice echoed eerily in the small confines of the cave. "He's saving our lives." Ava mentioned softly as she continued to hold onto the small tether of hope that Riddick would return. It didn't take long for the final flames of their makeshift torches to finally sputter out leaving them in total darkness. A soft, blue glow caught their attention and the survivors glanced toward the ceiling which was covered by small bioluminescent worms. Thinking quickly, Ava snatched one of the bottles and pulled the stopper from it, tossing the now useless wick aside. She pulled a few of the worms from the ceiling and deposited them in the bottle. "Carolyn, help me." She urged as the blonde docking pilot stood and began scooping up the tiny, squirming animals. Filling both bottles to nearly half capacity, they were left with a pair of glowing "lights" that would probably serve to keep the raptors at bay a little longer. Outside the cave, the scratching and whooping calls of their pursuers filled the night as the creatures attempted to assess a way into the cave that held their meal.

Impatient with waiting, and full of distrust for the convict, Carolyn volunteered to go to the settlement and ensure Riddick hadn't made off with the skiff. "I should go." Ava stated, securing her sidearms in their leather holsters and hefting the shotgun she'd reclaimed from Johns' corpse over her shoulder. "No. If anything happens to me, you're the only one who can protect them." Carolyn's sound words echoed in Ava's ears as she struggled to push the large bone aside. Ava assisted her as Carolyn held the makeshift lantern aloft, the eerie blue glow illuminating the dangerous and muddy path before her. Ava grasped Carolyn's arm briefly. "My friends have a saying: Thar'n-dha s'yin'tekai. It means strength and honor." Ava's piercing dark eyes met Carolyn's grey ones as she took hold of the docking pilot's hand, clasping it as if they were about to arm wrestle. With a nod, Ava released her watching the slender woman disappear into the rainy darkness with only the blue glow of the improvised lantern to light her way. "Strength and honor." Ava muttered to herself as she pulled the bone across the cavern opening again.

**Chapter Thirteen: Queen of Souls**

The blue light of the lantern bobbed in the darkness, catching Riddick's silver gaze as he began to power up the small vessel. Carolyn's drenched and shocked form emerged into the welcoming embrace of the skiff's lights that would serve to keep the Bioraptors at bay. Intrigued, Riddick powered down the vessel, tearing off the harness and launching himself from the pilot's seat. The ramp descended as Carolyn made her way around the side of the vessel, righteous fury in her eyes. Riddick smirked at the top of the ramp, leaning casually with his arm against the roof of the skiff. "Strong survival instinct. I admire that in a woman." Carolyn stood in the drenching rain, her short blonde hair sticking to her saturated flesh, clothes clinging to her body. Her chest heaved with the exertion of her run, a palpable fire burning in her grey orbs. "I promised them that we'd go back with more light." Carolyn breathed out between panting breaths. Another smile curved Riddick's lips. "Did you?" He queried, hoping to garner an explosion of rage from the woman the he knew ebbed just under her surface. "What, are you afraid?" Carolyn parried back, her words stinging Riddick a little. Who the hell did she think she was? Or him, for that matter. Riddick let out a bellowing laugh. "Me? Afraid?" The idea was incredulous. "Come on…" Carolyn urged. "There's gotta be some part of you that wants to rejoin the human race." Riddick let out a derisive sound. "Truthfully, I wouldn't know how." Carolyn's heart sank. _He really is gonna leave us after all. _She considered sullenly, hoping she had a few more cards to play. "Then just give me more light for them and I'll go back myself." Carolyn stated, hoping to call his bluff. Maybe some part of him that Ava seemed to awaken would stay alive just long enough that Riddick would agree to help her. Riddick pulled the light strap he'd had slung over his back from it's hanging place and tossed it into the mud at Carolyn's feet. "There ya go." He stated casually, almost coldly.

Carolyn reached down to retrieve it, noticing the smashed bulbs before tossing the now useless thing away in disgust. "Please, just come with me." She pleaded, her voice softening with desperation. Riddick took a step down the ramp and for a moment Carolyn thought she had him. "I got a better idea, come with me." Carolyn's grey eye's narrowed at him. "You're fucking with me, I know you are." She'd had just about enough of Riddick's mind games. Time was wasting. Riddick chuckled again, a decidedly cold sound. "You know I am? You don't know anything about me. I will leave you here." That was probably the most truthful thing Riddick had said so far and Carolyn found it hard to doubt him. She sneered at his insolence. "And Ava too? She's not even human and has more humanity than you!" That stung. Riddick found his mind suddenly drifting toward the dark haired vixen that had gotten so thoroughly under his skin. A sudden pain welled in his chest as her face flashed through his mind. How dare Carolyn use the woman against him! A chilly visage passed over Riddick's face. "Step inside, Carolyn." He urged, watching the woman intently to see what she would do. Was she really as strong as she painted herself to be? Was she willing to save the very people she almost damned to death during the crash? "I can't." Carolyn's voice was a breathless whisper, nearly drowned out by the falling rain. "Sure you can." Riddick urged. "Here, I'll make it easy on you." He held out a hand toward Carolyn, keeping his feet firmly planted on the ramp of the skiff. "Look, no one's gonna blame you, save yourself." Slowly, Carolyn stumbled onto the ramp, crawling slowly up the metal structure. "That's it, good girl." Riddick's stinging words egged her on.

Visions of the faces of those she left behind in the cave filtered through her mind. Imam, Jack, the Arab Boy….even Ava. The woman's last words filtered through Carolyn's mind. _Strength and honor. _Trembling, Carolyn rose to her feet and spun around to face the muscular man who had taunted her with promises of a clear conscience and safety aboard the skiff. With an almost feral cry, Carolyn lunged at Riddick, knocking him to the ground and landing in a straddling position atop his body. "Now! You listen to me! I am the captain of this ship and I am not leaving anyone on this rock with those things! Even if it means…." Her voice was cut off as Riddick tossed her off with ease and dragged her beneath his own body, the bone dagger pressed tightly against her throat. "Get that thing off my neck!" Carolyn ground out through clenched teeth as Riddick hovered over her. "Shut up!" He growled, stilling the struggling woman with his immense weight and strength. "Would you die for them?!" Riddick pressed the dagger further against Carolyn's throat as the woman's piercing gaze locked onto his. "I would try for them." She managed to choke out, hoping the dagger didn't knick her flesh. Riddick wasn't satisfied. "You didn't answer me." He growled again. Carolyn lay beneath him in the cold mud, panting beneath the sharp blade of the bone dagger. "Yes I would, Riddick. I would die for them." Pulling the goggles from his held and palming them in his large hand, Riddick leveled his silver gaze at the woman who managed to surprise him a little. "How interesting." He stated, slowly easing off of her and letting the docking pilot turned sudden captain scramble out from under him. "Ava was right about you, Carolyn." Was all Riddick said as he rose to his feet before her.

The large bone blocking the entrance to the cave shifted slowly as Imam, Jack and the Arab boy cowered behind the shotgun toting Ava. They breathed a sigh of relief as Carolyn appeared with a surprisingly smiling Riddick behind her. Ava shouldered the shotgun again as they all rose to their feet; all except Imam's last charge who still required assistance walking. "Never had a doubt!" Jack shouted, her green eyes focused on Riddick, her criminal hero. "Anyone not ready for this?" Riddick asked rhetorically, his gaze falling on Ava's dark eyes. She offered him a sly smirk. Imam and Carolyn assisted the injured boy through the cave opening with Jack following closely. Ava paused in the cave entrance, her eyes finding Riddick's silver orbs. "You came back." She stated plainly, a curious smirk on her face. Riddick pulled the bone dagger from his belt, holding it out to her much as he'd done only a short time earlier in that same spot. "Had to return your dagger." Riddick said, by way of a response although something deeper swam in his mercury depths. Ava placed her hand over his, curling Riddick's fingers around the dagger. "Keep it for now but I will want it back." Ava's grin turned somewhat saucy as she passed him, entering the darkness and the rain.

Ahead of them lay the final stretch toward the settlement, the skiff and safety. Four Bioraptors blocked their way, locked in some ancient dance that only their species understood. Ava pulled one of the grenades from the bandolier strapped across her shoulder. "Everybody, cover your heads! Protect your eyes and ears!" Ava ordered as she tossed the small, round flash bang grenade in the midst of the four Bioraptors who sniffed it curiously for a few seconds before it exploded with blinding light and thunderous sound. The raptors screamed in agony as the bright light seared their flesh making them scramble away and take weakened flight away from the dangerous storm in a tiny package. With their path clear, the remaining survivors made a mad dash toward the settlement, clamoring over the muddy ridge. Imam hoisted the boy in his arms, stumbling at the muddy summit but was only kept from falling by Ava's firm grip. "Just keep going!" She told them, glancing back for Riddick who seemed to have fallen behind. Three large Bioraptors descended on their new prey, striking out with teeth and talon as they stalked him closely.

Imam urged Carolyn onto the skiff as she urgently watched the rainy darkness for Ava and Riddick. A roar of pain cut the darkness followed by the sounds of gunfire. Carolyn glanced back at Imam and Jack who continually urged her to come out of the rain and get onto the skiff. It briefly reminded her of Riddick's tempting offer. She had not left the survivors then, she would not leave Riddick or Ava now. The last Imam or Jack saw of Carolyn was her slender frame disappearing into the darkness. The girl and the Holy Man glanced at one another fearing they would never see the others again.

Carolyn called into the rainy darkness, her voice nearly swallowed by the din. "Ava! Riddick!" Another gunshot and a squeal of pain from a Bioraptor that had fallen in the distance. Riddick, badly injured, stumbled out of the darkness with the bloody bone dagger still clasped in his hand. He grunted with pain as he tried to stand on his shredded leg but the appendage wouldn't hold his weight. "I got you, come on!" Carolyn wrapped his arm of her shoulder to attempt to hold him up. They slipped and fell in the mud, struggling to remain upright. "Come on! I said I die for them, not you!" Carolyn urged. Behind them, Ava backed out of the darkness, the shotgun poised and ready as their hammer-headed pursuers closed in. "We need to keep moving! I'm running out of ammo!" She called back, spinning around to keep her eye on Riddick and Carolyn. The docking pilot struggled with Riddick's weight as Ava took point, watching for any other dangers lurking about in the darkness. Carolyn and Riddick stood face to face as she readjusted her hold on him. A shot rang out, hot wind passing so close to Carolyn's head that it disturbed a few strands of her hair. The Bioraptor behind her had been blown away, a gaping hole in it's midsection from the shotgun blast. Ava lowered the weapon giving the stunned blonde a curt nod.

They struggled their way slowly back toward the skiff, where Imam and Jack waited impatiently. The Holy Man assisted Carolyn with Riddick's weight as Ava hung back, keeping her eyes on the approaching Bioraptors. They knew their prey was getting away and they were beginning to show a new form of boldness, even their fear of the skiff's lights seemed diminished. Their swaying hammer-like heads watched Ava closely as she slowly backed her way toward the skiff. Their pursuit stopped abruptly and one of them let out a keening wail, backing off into the darkness. _I know I'm scary but…. _Ava thought to herself as she turned her attention away from the retreating Bioraptors and toward the skiff. Her eyes widened as she saw what had made them back off so abruptly. A massive black figure slowly emerged from the other side of the small vessel, a toothy maw emerging from beneath the protective carapace of the Xenomorph Queen's head. Her five pointed crown towered over the skiff as she rounded the corner, focused on the tiny prey at her feet. Jack stumbled off of the ramp at the sight of the massive beast, crawling backwards through the mud, her eyes wide and full of terror. The Queen let out an eerie hiss, reaching out a skeletal clawed hand toward the scrambling teen. Saliva dripped from the Xeno Queen's dagger-like fangs, mixing with the rain and mud on the ground. The Queen made her slow pursuit of Jack who trembled at the clawed feet of the giant creature. Behind her, Ava cocked the shotgun and aimed it at the Queen, her eyes narrowed in rage. "Get away from her, you **BITCH**!" Ava ground out as she blasted the side of the Queen's large crest. The Queen let out an ear piercing shriek as her head reared back, spraying green acidic blood into the rainy darkness.

Ava reached down, grasping Jack's arm and hoisting her to her feet. "Get in the skiff, now!" Ava urged the frightened girl who was more than happy to comply. "And close the ramp behind you!" Ava continued, inching her way slowly to give herself some distance from the skiff. It would do them no good should any of the Queen's blood damage the vessel before takeoff. "What about you?!" Jack called from the top of the ramp, her trembling hand on the button that would close the entrance to the vessel and lock Ava outside with the massive black creature. "I'm just gonna play with my new friend." Ava purred, nodding toward Jack in a silent command to press the button and close the ramp. _Time to dance… _Ava thought to herself as she cocked the shotgun again, rolling out of the way of the Xeno Queen's pendulous tail.

Riddick heard the ramp close, turning from his position in the pilot's seat. "Jack, why'd you close that damn ramp and where the hell is Ava!" His rumbling and clearly angry voice sent a chill up the child's spine. Jack turned her fearful green eyes toward her dark hero who now bore a look of murderous rage. The child had closed the ship and left his mate outside to face the dangers of the planet. "Sh-she told me to. There's a giant Xeno thing outside!" Riddick growled as he tried to rouse himself from the pilot's seat, although his leg seemed unwilling to cooperate. Slowly, Riddick managed to get to his feet, his face contorted in dark rage as he bore down on the girl. "Jack!" He growled angrily but Imam stood between the convict and the girl. "Mr. Riddick! I understand your concern but the girl is not at fault! Miss Ava knows what she is doing! We have all seen her fight, I have faith she will return safely! We will not leave her." For all of Riddick's anger, he could not find it in himself to take it out on the Holy Man or the girl. As much as he hated to admit it, Imam's words had value. Ava was a capable fighter, but he would only wait so long before limping to her rescue. She was his mate, his woman and Riddick could no longer ignore the feelings she had awoken in him.

Ava rolled across the muddy ground, crouching and cocking the shotgun again before firing at the Queen's left shoulder above the topmost of her four skinny arms. The limb hung limply, pouring out copious amounts of green blood as she screamed her rage again. Infuriated, the Queen bore down on Ava with impossible speed for her hulking, twenty-five foot form as her toothy jaws clamped down on the air only inches from Ava's face. Ava rolled backward, away from the dangerous serrated teeth, crouching again and letting out an animalistic hiss of challenge. The Queen's crested head reared back as she appeared to cock her head almost in disbelief of the challenge of this tiny, insignificant creature. Ava cocked the shotgun again and fired her final round, striking the Queen in her midsection but grimaced as it was only a glancing blow. Tossing the useless weapon aside, Ava withdrew her only loaded pistol and aimed at the Queen's giant body as the black mass descended on her again. The whip-like tail struck the storage crate behind Ava only inches from her head as the young woman scrambled to her feet firing several rounds at the Queen who only seemed to shake off the wounds that would have been fatal for nearly anything else.

With a scream and a hiss, the Queen dislodged her tail from the crate and swung out again, striking Ava across her side and sending her skidding through the mud. Ava could feel the ribs give way beneath the forceful contact and she panted as she tried to rise to her feet. Her lungs felt as though they were on fire and Ava was unsure if it was due to exertion or if one of the ribs may have punctured a lung. Ava coughed, spitting blood into the muddy water below her. _This is not good. _She thought to herself as her trembling arms gave way and she fell onto the ground again. Ava rolled herself over onto her back, grimacing as arrows of pain assaulted her side. She glanced up into the rainy darkness, the lights of the skiff now eclipsed by the Queen's massive body. Ava's shoulder suddenly burned with piercing agony as the tip of the Queen's tail stabbed through her flesh, effectively pinning her to the ground. With a form of menacing glee, the Queen lifted Ava out of the mud as she struggled and cried out in agony. The Queen held Ava before her massive head, as if studying the woman who had brought death to her two drones and threatened the eggs that still lingered underground. _Killer of my kind… _The Xenomorph Queen's thoughts echoed in Ava's mind, sending a chill up her spine as she dangled helplessly only inches from the Queen's massive jaws. The Queen slowly opened her toothy maw, showing rows of glistening metallic looking teeth and the piston like inner mouth that was poised for the kill. Ava's trembling hand pulled one of the explosive grenades from her bandolier as she watched the weaponized appendage tremble before shooting out toward her face. Ava turned her head abruptly, avoiding the dangerous piston-like mouth although the movement sent flames of pain through her pierced shoulder. The inner mouth shot out again, and Ava repeated the action, only infuriating the Queen further. "Smile, you ugly Bitch!" Ava challenged through clenched teeth. With her fingers still depressing the release on the grenade, Ava reached back as she awaited the Queen's next attack. The Queen repeated her attack with the smaller inner mouth just as Ava shoved the grenade between the four needle sharp teeth.

The Queen reared back in distress, unable to dislodge the tiny, round object that was now trapped in the locked teeth of her inner mouth. In her agony, the Queen flung her tail, tossing Ava painfully onto the muddy ground where she rolled away from the immediate danger that the grenade and it's new host posed. Covering her head, Ava only had to wait mere seconds before an explosion echoed throughout the darkness as a shower of carapace and acid blood rained down from the sky. Ava made a quick assessment of her condition, ensuring none of the acidic blood had fallen on her before slowly rising to her feet to observe her kill. The Queen's hulking form toppled over slowly like some form of twisted tree after a woodcutter's axe had felled it. Half of her head was gone, three of the crests and the protective shield lay a small distance away from the body. Holding her injured ribs, Ava slowly strode toward the Xeno Queen's corpse, lifting what remained of the crested head of her nemesis.

The ramp descended slowly, opening up toward the rain drenched planet and the soft glow of lights from the rear of the skiff. A lone figure stood at the base of the ramp, her dark hair fallen limp and soaking against her skin with the remains of the Xeno Queen's head held in her hand. Careful of the slick footing, Riddick limped toward the base of the ramp and the woman who waited for him. Only inches apart, Ava's dark eyes met Riddick's mercury gaze. There she found tenderness, concern and….fear? A small smirk touched Ava's slender, pink lips. "Guess I kept my promise." She stated demurely, her gruesome trophy still clutched in her fingers. Ava let the head fall from her hands as Riddick placed his own on either side of her face. Without a word he crushed his lips to hers, a mixture of possessiveness and relief welling up within him. His mate was safe and alive and back in his arms. Slowly, Riddick released her, only now noticing her grave injuries. "You're hurt." He stated plainly, although he couldn't hide the concern in his voice. "Yeah, guess we're a matched set." Ava responded, as they slowly made their way up the slick ramp toward the safety of the skiff.

Jack leapt to her feet excitedly, her green eyes raking over Ava's bloody and battered form. "What happened?" She asked coyly. Ava's dark eyes glanced toward the girl. "Something she ate disagreed with her." She mentioned with a playful smirk. Riddick set Ava on one of the seats, eager to assess her condition. Ava's shoulder wound wept blood profusely and she continued to hold her injured ribs. A trickle of blood could be seen at the corner of Ava's mouth. Riddick began feeling along Ava's side which was the injury that seemed to worry him the most. "Your ribs are broken." Riddick said, his voice low and rumbling. "Yep, I know." Ava said between gasps and grimaces of pain. "I think I have a punctured lung." She breathed out as she continued. Riddick shook his head as he tore a piece off of his tattered shirt and placed it over the weeping shoulder wound. "This isn't good." Riddick announced, although he kept his voice low enough to prevent Jack from hearing. He knew the girl had developed a deep fondness for Ava. For once, Riddick was at odds for what to do. They didn't have the proper supplies to heal Ava's grievous wounds and it would probably be too long to wait for rescue. He trembled with the realization that there was a good chance Ava could die. "Upper left pocket of my vest." Ava whispered softly. "There's a vial of green liquid. Pull it out." Riddick's eyes centered on Ava's for a moment as if questioning her odd request. Silently he complied, pulling out the vial that was still three quarters full of iridescent, glowing, green liquid. "Get a bandage." She whispered hoarsely, her lungs clearly filling with blood. Riddick tore through the med kid they had located earlier when Carolyn had tried desperately to dress his wounded leg. Riddick, of course, had refused as he kept his eyes trained on the door of the skiff. Ava opened the vial slowly and poured a little onto the bandage and instructed Riddick to wrap it around her injured shoulder. She hissed in pain as he applied the wrapping, carefully tying off the end and hoping it would hold. Ava eyed the liquid in the vial, seeming to study it for a moment before pouring the remaining liquid down her throat. "Hope this works." She muttered softly.

On the ground below, standing at the top of the ridge, two tall figures decloaked as they watched the Skiff slowly rise into the air and disappear into the darkened sky. One of the dreadlock sporting warriors let out a soft, trilling series of clicks. He turned toward his armored comrade. "Yeyinde has done well on this hunt. The Kainde Amedha are dead. Her battle with the queen will be sung about for many seasons. The Elder was wise in marking her." D'ha'rak stated to his gruff companion. The warrior beside him snorted in disgust, garnering a dark look from D'ha'rak although it was hidden behind his mask. "She is impulsive and reckless. See how she killed the Queen, a with a pitiful Ooman weapon. Ruined a perfectly good trophy." Bren'Ighal snarled, eyeing the smoldering carcass of the deceased Xenomorph Queen. D'ha'rak growled angrily at his companion, his masked glare centered on the dishonorable Young Blood. "Last I checked…" D'ha'rak began. "She has more trophies than you, she can spare one. Her chiva was well fought and the threat of the Kainde Amedha has ended here. The species must not be allowed to spread more than it already has. That is the treaty we made with the Oomans, with her clan. You do well to know you place, Bren'Ighal." The Yautja warrior turned toward his older companion, his mandibles flaring angrily beneath the mask. He would not challenge D'ha'rak but, perhaps at their next meeting he would challenge the little Ooman female they called Yeyinde. In his eyes she brought shame to the name the Elder had seen fit to give her, as well as her supposed status as a young blood amongst his clan. If Bren'Ighal didn't get the chance to challenge her, perhaps his brother would. It was common knowledge that none of their kind hated her more than his brother, Rhegan. Older than Bren'Ighal by many cycles, Rhegan was a fierce and capable warrior with rooms full of trophies that had won him breeding rights with countless females. Beneath his mask, Bren'Ighal smiled coldly. Yes, his brother would have her bleeding and writhing on the end of his dah'kte.

Shaking his head at D'ha'rak's apparent praise of the little Ooman female, Bren'Ighal's dreadlocks swept over his shoulders, the metal ornaments clanking quietly. He sneered inwardly considering that the only possible reasoning for this praise was his unhidden affection for the Ooman's sister, Rah'chel. Secretly it disgusted him that a seasoned warrior such as D'ha'rak would choose an Ooman female for a mate. Bren'Ighal was brought out of his musings by the whooping whine of the Bioraptors which were closing in on the tall, muscular aliens. The flapping of leathery wings drew D'ha'rak's attention as the hammer-headed predator closed in on the unusual prey it had been eying from a distance. With little fan fare, D'ha'rak released his dah'kte which instantly inserted itself into the chest of the bioraptor as it closed in for the kill. D'ha'rak turned his masked face toward the creature that oozed blue blood over his wrist blades to drip in a thick, viscous puddle on the muddy ground. He cocked his head, trilling at the insignificant creature that continued to snap, ineffectively, at his face. Tossing the dying creature away, D'ha'rak watched with disgust as several of the other Bioraptors turned on their fallen compatriot and made it into their next meal. "Let us leave. We will take no worthy trophies from this place." D'ha'rak stated blandly to his less-than-mild mannered companion. Bren'Ighal snorted with disgust. "We should give this planet the Nan-de Than-guan." D'ha'rak growled at the young blood's impertinence. "We will do no such thing. Let us go." He stated firmly as the pair of warriors activated their cloaks, fading seamlessly into the darkness of the deserted planet.

**Yautja Language Translations:**

Kainde Amedha - Hard Meat/Xenomorphs

Sain'ja - Warrior

D'yeka - Ultimate Prey (Xenomorphs)

Ooman - Yautja word for human (possibly meant to be derogatory)

Yeyinde - Brave One (Yautja name given to Ava Ripley)

Thar'n-dha S'yin'tekai - Strength and Honor

Chiva - Trial

Dah'kte - Wrist Blades

Nan-de Than-guan - Kiss of Midnight

* * *

That's part three. Part four will be up as soon as it's ready, I'm about half way through now. Thanks and review please.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Do not own Riddick, any familiar characters or places from his universe or Aliens or Predator. Only Ava Ripley is my own creation. Not for profit._

_Finally, the next chapter is up! Sorry about the wait. I'm not entirely thrilled with this particular installment and I usually don't do anything that takes place during dark fury but I had a few ideas I wanted to play with. I promise it'll get better soon, don't be too disappointed._

_Warning: Contains foul language and violence/gore._

_Riddick / Aliens / Predator Crossover Fan Fiction_

**Part Four: Mistress of the Kublai Khan**

**Chapter Fourteen: Floating Survivors**

The skiff coasted lazily toward the shipping lanes, hoping for a rescuing ship to happen their way before they happened to starve to death. Carolyn was seated at the controls of the vessel as Riddick had stubbornly refused to leave Ava's slumbering side until he was assured of her tentative recovery. The woman had returned to the skiff badly battered after her violent and heated battle with the giant black creature Ava had later admitted to be the elusive Xenomorph Queen. There was a soft groan as Ava shifted and slowly awoke. By most of the survivors calculations she had slumbered for three days after passing out either from the severity of her injuries or pure exhaustion. Ava may have been built to survive but even she could only take so much. Riddick had seated himself on the skiff floor beside the seat Ava was stretched out on, waiting beside her like a silver eyed golem as he relentlessly twirled her dagger in his hands. _If she dies the whole God Damn Universe is gonna pay for it. _That particular mantra had played in Riddick's mind for the entirety of Ava's slumber as he tried desperately to put his mind anywhere but on the possibility of her demise. Imam had prayed incessantly, keeping his own religion driven vigil over the girl whom the survivors had considered their savior. Ava's skill and knowledge of the Xenomorph species had been instrumental in keeping them alive; something every one of them would forever be grateful.

Another soft groan met Riddick's ears and he craned his neck to see if Ava was only shifting in her unusually deep slumber or if she'd actually awakened. Her dark eyes were slitted open as she watched Riddick's fingers toying with the decorative handle on the bone dagger. "You shouldn't play with that. You'll go blind." Ava rasped out, her throat parched from so long without liquid. As relieved as he was, Riddick managed to crack a smirk at her attempt at humor. "Just keepin' it warm for ya." Riddick commented, desperately trying to disguise how comforted he really was by the sudden change in her condition. Placing her hand beneath her, Ava pushed up slowly until she rose into a sitting position. Riddick turned abruptly, placing a hand on her shoulder to try to ease her back down to a laying position. "Lay down, you're still injured." Riddick ground out in his usual overly concerned tone mixed with just a touch of parental hovering. Ava waved his hand away as she turned a baleful glance in his direction. She straightened herself, cracking her neck and rolling her shoulders to relieve some of the stiffness in her muscles. "I'm perfectly fine. All healed, I assure you." Ava stated flatly. As if he didn't believe her, Riddick lifted the hem of her dirty, tattered shirt and inspected her ribs carefully; it had been her most grievous wound. Sliding his calloused hand over her ribcage he marveled at the lack of bruising as well as the apparent soundness of all of her previously broken ribs. "How the hell?" He muttered, as much to himself as the woman whom he was currently touching with fascination. Ava offered him another of her saucy yet knowing smirks. "When I'm badly injured I can put myself in a form of healing hibernation. My body slows down all necessary processes to a crawl to focus on healing and speed up the process. Near fatal wounds will heal in days; that, and good 'ole Yautja physiology to the rescue." Ava mentioned, garnering a rare look of confusion from Riddick. Ava's smile broadened. "The green liquid in the vial. It's Yautja blood. Speeds healing exponentially and might even extend life. Gods know how long I'm gonna live now." Ava chuckled despite the disgusted look on Riddick's face.

He glanced down momentarily at his own bandaged leg wound. Before passing out, Ava had extracted a second vial of green liquid from her vest and instructed Imam to pour some into Riddick's leg wound before bandaging it. She had been too weak herself to perform the necessary medical procedure. It wasn't until now that Riddick realized the wound didn't even hurt anymore. "You mean, you had the Holy Man put alien blood on my leg?!" He ground out incredulously, trying desperately to keep his voice from carrying too far in the small vessel. A sudden shutter went up his spine at the notion wondering what it could have possibly done to him. Riddick had never had a reason to distrust Ava, especially since she'd used the same substance on herself and apparently, after speaking with the Holy Man, on the Arab Boy as well. Ava ignored his tone and leaned forward to give him a chaste kiss on the forehead. "Don't worry about it. Your wound is healed an there will be no lasting damage. Might alter your DNA a trifle but it won't be noticeable." Ava stated, attempting to assuage his fears. Riddick wasn't sure he liked the idea but his leg no longer pained him and he even felt comfortable enough to remove the hastily applied bandage. Surprisingly all that lay underneath was a bit of raised flesh that would probably scar. The wound itself, once a gaping, torn hole, had knitted itself back together neatly. There wasn't much he could do about the condition of his pants but that was the least of his worries.

Ava stood from her seat, stretching more of her stiff muscles, at least as much as the cramped space of the skiff would allow, and slowly made her way toward the cockpit. Carolyn nearly leapt out of her skin at the previously unconscious woman's sudden appearance. The docking pilot had nearly forgotten how quiet Ava could be. "You're awake and….alive!" Carolyn stated without hiding her own joy. Ava placed her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Yeah. Those two things tend to go together but if I ever wake up as a zombie I'd be more than a little put off." Ava smirked at her own little joke that actually managed to eek out a small laugh from the typically serious blonde.

The waiting game had become more than a little tedious for all of the inhabitants of the cramped skiff. They were off of the hellish planet but at what cost? Food stores were running dangerously low, despite both Ava and Riddick's attempts to encourage a ration system that would benefit all of those on board. Ava spent much of her time at the controls of the vessel, trying in vain to contact her Underground compatriots. Without the benefit of knowing specifically where they were or what frequencies the com unit was programmed for, it was a daunting task at best. "Mayday, mayday! This is Ava Ripley scanning on all channels. Archimedes do you read?" Ava repeated over and over until her throat felt dry and hoarse. Depressing the com button unnecessarily hard Ava ground out her frustration. "Michael! Bishop! Is anybody out there?! Shit!" Ava cursed, tossing herself back against the back of the seat and giving the base of the ship's controls a half-hearted kick. Riddick had taken Carolyn's place in the pilot's seat to give the docking pilot a few hours of much needed respite. "I hope we didn't survive toothy monsters just to starve to death floating around in this tin can." Ava mentioned bitterly, defeat evident in her posture as she rubbed her fingers over her extremely tired eyes. She'd had no sleep since she'd awoken from her injury induced hibernative state. A feeling of warm pressure gave Ava pause and she lowered her hand from her face to glance at the opposite appendage that was now wrapped in Riddick's own hand. The supportive gesture made her smile despite herself. For all of the negative information she had learned about Riddick from the files gathered at the Weyland-Yutani research facility, none of it had seemed to even remotely capture the varied nuances of his personality. While he could be violent, gruff, inconsiderate and down right hostile there was also the tender nature that hid beneath his prickly outer shell. If one took the time to slowly peel back Riddick's many layers they would find a complex individual who (although he'd never admit it) simply wanted the same things as everyone else in the universe. Freedom, respect and, despite any of his protestations to the contrary, love. Those were all things Ava had vowed he would have, in spades.

Not aware of how long she had been dozing, her genetically altered body finally giving in to baser, human needs, Ava was jerked awake as the Skiff lurched suddenly. Lights were blinking rapidly and a warning indicator began blaring loudly. At least it would have been considered irritating to Riddick and Ava's oversensitive ears. "What the hell now!" Ava spat as she pushed herself forward in the seat, marveling at the massive and ornate looking vessel that loomed before them. "One of yours?" Riddick's deep voice inquired from the pilot's seat beside her as he flipped a series of switches desperately trying to disengage the Skiff from the tow line that had pierced one of the wings. Ava's eyes took in the large rounded ship that seemed to be white and trimmed with gold. "That ugly thing?! Hell no! We've got better taste than that….and more firepower." Ava commented, noting the lack of weaponry on the monstrosity that loomed before them. The com unit crackled for a bit before a humorless male voice contacted their vessel. "Unidentified craft, state your cargo and purpose." Riddick and Ava remained silent although a chill went up her spine at the familiar sound of the voice. The man repeated the line again as Riddick hastily formulated a plan. It was clear they couldn't dislodge themselves from the ship and he wasn't exactly sure what they'd encounter once they were reeled onboard. The third time the man repeated the line, he seemed more agitated than ever. Riddick finally gave him the information he seemed to require. "Name's Johns. I'm a bounty hunter. Ship I was on crash landed, this is the escape vessel." He stated pointedly, hoping the man would buy his alias and they didn't have voice recognition software. "They're pulling us in!" Jack's worried voice piped up from somewhere behind the cockpit.

Casually, Riddick sat back in the pilot's seat, his fingers tapping together calmly as if he hadn't a care in the world. "I have a bad feeling about this." Ava muttered, to no one in particular. Riddick smirked as he glanced in her direction. "First you're just another survivor, then you're a genetically altered super soldier, now you're a psychic." Ava's dark eyes met his, mischief swirling in their mercury depths. She shared in his mirth, despite the nervous agitation that ate away at her psyche. "Yeah, I'm full of surprises." She added with a light chuckle. Ava hastily checked the clip of her sidearm. It was barely half full and the other was completely empty. She sighed as she replaced the leather snap that held the gun in the holster. Riddick and Ava watched as the massive ship drew closer while it reeled them into the gaping hold near the bottom of the vessel. Like the great fish that swallowed the Biblical Jonah, the massive ship consumed the tiny skiff as if it were an insignificant morsel.

**Chapter Fifteen: It Just Keeps Gettin' Worse**

Riddick rose from the pilot's seat, making his way toward the middle of the skiff in a few quick strides. Ava joined him, curious as to what his escape plan might be. They had no idea what they might encounter and had to be ready for anything. "Everyone, hold your breath." Riddick stated casually, lighting Paris' confiscated lighter and holding it only inches beneath the extinguishing system of the skiff. The vessel instantly filled with thick extinguishing foam that felt cold and sticky against their flesh. Tapping sounds, muffled as they were by the foam, could be heard at the rear hatch of the skiff moments before the door exploded outward sending both foam and survivors with it. The foam expanded thickly in the low gravity environment, enveloping a few of the unlucky mercenaries that happened to get caught in the creeping fluid. Blood spotted the white foam as muffled screams denoted the deaths of several of the mercenaries unlucky enough to be caught in the blast. The survivors each managed a quick breath before the expanding foam swallowed them again, too frightened to leave it's safety as gunfire rang out around them. Ava peeked out once, her pistol clutched tightly in her hand and she managed to get off one shot that struck one of the mercs in the head.

A tall, muscular gentleman in a long white coat and sunglasses surveyed the destruction from a safe distance, watching coldly as his merc army was cut down one by one. Tired of this game he initiated the artificial gravity, causing both foam and survivors to plummet to the ground. Riddick rolled forward, slicing open the final merc while the white coated gentleman held a gun to Jack's head. Her eyes were wide with fear and she trembled beneath the man's hidden gaze. "Call off your lapdog before his trying to impress you gets him killed." Riddick growled to the slender, garishly dressed woman who stood where the white coated man had been only moments before. "Am I so obvious?" The woman stated, her voice thickly accented. "Call it what you want but tell him to stand down, now!" Riddick growled, Jack's whimpering cries floating to his ears. The woman's cold smile only seemed to grow wider, nearly encompassing the entirety of her face. "You'll have to excuse Junner's excitement, it sometimes makes him a touch quick. Though I can't say I blame him. You see, he's heard so much about you….Riddick." The woman cocked her head slightly, devilish intent glittering in her eyes.

Ava stood slowly, well out of sight and range of the over excited Junner. Approaching with silent footsteps, she placed the barrel of her loaded pistol to the back of the tall man's head. "Hello, Junner." She purred defiantly. "How's the arm?" Junner growled as he turned his head slightly to regard the young woman whom he'd hoped he'd never see again. The very woman who'd cost him his job and his arm. "YOU!" He snarled, keeping his weapon trained on Jack. Ava gave him a saucy smile as she cocked her head, enjoying the rage that played through his eyes. Although covered by the green lenses of his sunglasses, Ava could still catch a glimmer of deep seated anger. With a snarl, Junner pulled his weapon away from Jack's head, turning toward the well armed and adept Ava. "I'd hoped you were dead you psycho bitch!" Junner growled, his large weapon aimed directly at her. Once again she was in a stand off and it was getting a little old. "Sorry to disappoint." Ava stated, her smirk widening. "Shall I go for a leg this time?" The question was rhetorical and meant to enflame Junner's anger further. Maybe he'd do something stupid.

The soft sound of the garish woman's shifting dress carried in the eerily silent room. "Junner, enough! Where are your manners? Why don't you show our guests some hospitality?" The woman's cold smile remained in place on her angular face. Grumbling, Junner lowered his weapon and began herding the survivors out of the docking bay, after disarming Ava and Riddick. Strapping the muscular convict to a restraining table, Junner was forced to only keep Ava in shackles. "Should put you in a cage." He growled to her as he clamped the shackles on her wrists unnecessarily tight. The group was led down a long corridor lined on either side with filled cryo tubes. "Have you ever seen anything like this?" Imam wondered aloud, his eyes darting in all directions. Carolyn kept a speculative eye on the armed men following them, only glancing briefly at their surroundings. "Who are all these people?" Riddick let out a soft chuckle at the blonde's innocence. "This is a merc ship. You do the math." He grumbled, shifting in his restraints. "It's a plantation operation." Imam added, garnering a look from the rest of the group. Who knew the man was so well informed on mercenary operations. "They go into port and hire on as many men as the ship can hold. Contracted manpower on one side, captured bounties on the other. This ship may stay out for months at a time, or longer." Riddick smirked at the Holy man, clearly surprised by his level of knowledge. "You know a lot about this shit, for a Holy Man." He stated plainly, one brow quirked above his goggles. Imam shrugged. "I hear things." He answered. "Just add heat." Jack piped up, her eyes wandering over the filled cryotubes with awe and fear.

Ava kept pace beside Riddick, fidgeting with her shackles which were beginning to chafe. Riddick turned his head slightly, watching her through the dark goggles. Although he hid it well, it sickened him to see her chained like a common criminal. He was pleased to see, however, that the fire hadn't gone from her eyes. Maybe she was plotting just like he was. "So, how do you know tall, dark and poorly dressed?" Riddick asked, curious about her familiarity with a man who worked on a merc ship. Ava kept her eyes in front of her as she answered. "He used to be a Weyland-Yutani lackey, kinda like Johns. Junner was transporting some eggs purchased off the black market. We tracked him down, intent on destroying his cargo. Junner stupidly put up a fight and lost an arm in the process; something I am pleased to admit was my doing. Due to his failure he was fired. Apparently he ended up here, go figure." Ava shrugged as the last words left her mouth. Riddick smirked at the idea that Ava had parted the man from his arm. His Ava was very good at making friends and influencing people. Wait, HIS Ava? Riddick was about to scold himself for the thought but somehow couldn't bring himself to do it. It wasn't his own consciousness talking but his inner beast. The very creature that had responded so vehemently to her from the moment she walked aboard the Hunter-Gratzner. Ava was his; his woman, his mate and Riddick couldn't deny that any more than he could deny himself the need for sustenance or oxygen. She was the very air he breathed; she was ferocity, strength and primal energy that sang along his skin until it prickled with goose bumps. Yeah, she gave him goose bumps….among other things. As unwarranted and unwanted as these new feelings were, Riddick couldn't…no, wouldn't…bring himself to hate them. Ava had tamed the beast and found the man within that he'd thought dead and buried a long time ago. She'd saved the survivors from the beasts of the planet and she'd saved him from himself.

Drawn from his musings by a sudden halt in their procession, Riddick craned his neck in an attempt to see where they had finally ended up and why they had stopped. "This is where you two get off." Grumbled one of the mercs escorting them as he gleefully prodded Ava in the back with the muzzle of his gun. Ava turned a baleful eye toward the man, promising a swift death if he dared to do that again. Even shackled, Riddick was certain she could accomplish the task. Despite his faith in the woman beside him, Riddick struggled at his own restraints and offered the man a growl of anger. _He touches her like that again I'm gonna rip his spine outta his fat ass! _Riddick considered as his shined eyes blazed with anger behind his dark goggles. The fat merc turned his face slightly to regard Riddick, the animalistic sound having met his ears. "Shut up!" The man spat as his fist made contact with Riddick's face. Ava heard the contact more than she saw and spun around on the balls of her feet, hands flexing in their restraints. Riddick growled again, this time his intended target was the overly excited woman to his left. Even though she couldn't see them, Ava knew Riddick was chiding her with his eyes, a silent message of "stand down" passing between them. In her usual fashion, Ava turned her dark eyes toward the fat merc and let out a low hiss offering a challenge of her own. For some reason the man didn't take the bait although his eyes stared daggers into her. Ava was less restrained than Riddick and therefore more dangerous, perhaps this particular merc actually had some brains. Doubtful, but it was an interesting thought. The merc looked toward one of his compatriots. "Chillingsworth wants them taken to the conservatory. Probably wants to play with her new toys." The other merc, a thin but muscular man (although tiny compared to Riddick's firm bulk), nodded as he watched the other survivors being ushered away. "I will pray." Imam muttered, his eyes focused on Riddick and Ava. "Not for me." Riddick responded, almost coldly. Ava remained silent. If it pleased Imam to pray to his god for her or even Riddick she would not slight him. As the group was separated, Jack struggled against them, her wiry frame flailing as the merc restrained her. "I won't leave without you guys! I'll find you, Riddick! Ava!" The girl's angry and frightened cries echoed in Ava's ears and she twitched with seething anger. _If anything happens to Jack or any of them I'll tear that ugly bitch to shreds!_

**Chapter Sixteen: Without Honor**

The room Riddick and Ava had entered was a lavish expanse filled with twisted effigies of humanity like grotesque still lifes of muscle and sinew locked in torturous poses. Blue, naked figures trapped with pained expressions of ravenous fear on their faces. "Set him down and leave." Junner barked from somewhere in the sterile looking room. Riddick was released from the holding table which was wheeled away without fanfare. Both he and Ava remained in shackles but were otherwise unrestrained. Slowly they descended the steps, striding deeper into the hell of Chillingsworth's own imagining, both of them eyeing the environment carefully. A chill crept up Ava's spine as her eyes wandered over the exceedingly lifelike figures that were scattered throughout the room. Junner grunted and waved his hand to usher them further in. Ava passed close enough to the man to offer him a dangerous hiss and watched with glee as his fists flexed at his sides. With her expert hearing, Ava caught the quiet whir of gears in his robotic arm. The sound, as well as his barely masked rage, brought a smile to her lips.

Riddick inched toward one of the figures, glancing down to read the plaque at the base. KILLER OF MEN, FURYA. Fascinated by the incredibly lifelike icon, Riddick reached his hands toward it's mouth. The tongue moved slightly, licking at his fingertips. "The fuck!" He grumbled, stepping away from the perceived statue that he only now realized must be alive. "This place is sick." Ava murmured beside him, her attention suddenly drawn toward the lanky woman who set her wine glass down and made a slow approach. Riddick felt a searing pain in his neck as Junner jabbed something into it, dropping him to his knees. "Now you have my attention." He grumbled, struggling to his feet. Chillingsworth smiled broadly, giving Junner a nod that seemed to indicate he should continue with Ava. Junner withdrew a second device from his pocket prompting Ava to take a step back. He made a grab for her but Ava struck out with her leg, sweeping Junner's own out from under him and sending him sprawling onto his back. Within moments, only the span of time required for one breath, Ava launched herself onto Junner, straddling his chest and pinning both of his arms to the ground with her knees. Ava glanced up, her dark brown eyes meeting the frigid gaze of Chillingsworth. "How many pieces do you want him in?" She asked with a purr to her voice. Riddick would have laughed if his neck didn't hurt so damn much. Ever confident, Chillingsworth kept the smile plastered on her angular face. "A necessary precaution. You attempt anything uncivilized…killing me, for instance…I detonate the explosive charge Junner's just implanted in your…friend's…neck and sleep very well tonight." Chillingsworth brandished a small device that was no doubt linked to the explosive in Riddick's neck. "Now, if you wouldn't mind releasing Junner I will promise that you won't receive the same treatment as Riddick. Only if you behave, however." Ava seemed to take the woman's words into consideration. Even without the threat of exploding into tiny bits, the danger to Riddick's own life gave her pause. Ava would not risk him even for the chance to disembowel her old friend Junner as well as his Devil Woman employer. Slowly, Ava rose off of Junner's arms, watching as the man scurried away from her and tried to rise to his feet with some semblance of dignity.

Chillingsworth let out something that sounded like a chuckle, pleased with her ability to essentially neuter Riddick and Ava into compliance. "Walk with me." Chillingsworth ordered, turning abruptly with a flurry of her long gown. Riddick's eyes continue to play over the cyan figures surrounding him, each one staring eerily from their frozen features. "You're not putting me on a pedestal." Riddick ground out, assurity in his voice almost as if he'd threatened the woman with death somewhere within the comment. Ava silently followed, wondering if the woman intended the same fate for her. The idea of being frozen for possibly ever sent a shutter through her. She'd rather die than be put on display for the twisted woman's pleasure. "No, of course not." Chillingsworth stated with an air of absolute conviction. "You're strictly for my private collection." The lanky woman turned abruptly, her eyes flitting between Ava and Riddick. Cautiously and fully aware of how fast and dangerous the unusual woman was, Chillingsworth approached Ava with a scrutinizing glare. "I am unclear what to do with you." Chillingsworth stated casually. Ava smirked, an acidic quip dancing on her tongue and waiting to be released. "What are you, anyway?" The curator of the Mad Museum quipped as her eyes traveled the length of Ava's tall, slender form. Without missing a beat Ava offered a sarcastic answer. "I'm a meat popsicle." Chillingsworth seemed less than amused, hmphing humorlessly as she confidentally turned her back on the very dangerous woman. The young woman was of no consequence, for now. Chillingsworth's real prize was standing beside her.

Following the woman closely, Riddick's eyes continued to peruse the mounted figures of frozen flesh that surrounded him. "Hmmm…Okay, you go through all the trouble to catch these guys and this is what you do with them." Riddick mused seemingly unconcerned that this could very well be his own fate. Not that he'd willingly let that happen. Ava hung back, her eyes following Junner's nervous whereabouts. He strode some distance behind Riddick and Chillingsworth seemingly more interested in them than his old nemesis. Ava kept her eyes on him and her ears on the conversation going on some distance away. "You're missing the point." Chillingsworth countered, swinging around to stare Riddick down defensively. Riddick snorted derisively, a smirk touching his lips. "What point?" Riddick barked. "You got a million U.D.'s standing around collecting dust." Chillingsworth's bright red lips quirked a little, showing her amusement of Riddick's apparent blindness in light of her twisted vision. The lanky woman gently fondled a pair of grotesquely manipulated frozen men, their eyes staring out from their nearly paralyzed lids with a sense of pleading helplessness. "You underestimate their value, Riddick. They are priceless. Each, at one time, the most wanted man or woman…or thing…in the known universe. The number of lives ended at the hands of those living and breathing in this room is incalculable." She turned away from her close proximity to the two human popsicles bearing a wide grin on her face apparently only meant for Riddick. "Ain't what I'd call living." He responded, casually fiddling with the shackles in a nondescript manner to avoid aggravating the suspicions of Junner of Chillingsworth and avoid a painful and messy death.

Chillingsworth continued casually, as if carrying on a conversation with a long lost friend. "Just the same, I assure you they are all very much alive. Each one sustained in a form of cryo so profound that seconds seem like weeks and to blink an eye is a day's work. The brain, however, continues to function unimpeded. The mind continues to think and feel, swarming with whatever dark thoughts it's trapped alone with, as it will be for hundreds of years. So much more fitting a fate than dropping them off at the nearest slam. Here, they are appreciated for what they truly are, transformed into objects on par with their lives' work. And why? Because I gave them the audience they so desperately desired, the recognition they bought with the blood of others. I understood their actions, stripped free of moral convention. Don't you see? They're something greater now, Riddick. Something more than they ever were before. Art." Chillingsworth's long winded explanation finally drew to a close. Riddick had begun to feel a little bored and a bored Riddick is a very dangerous thing. He cringed a little at the thought of being frozen in such a state for hundreds of years and began making mental plans to thank Chillingsworth for her hospitality in a very violent manner. Probably Junner, too, unless he left the man for Ava. The idea pleased him greatly. "Lady, your taste sucks." Riddick commented, his goggled vision burrowing into the slender woman before him. There was that damned smirk again, twisting her ruby lips across her narrow face. "I suspected as much. Please, allow me to show you the prize of my collection. It's more of a curiosity, really, but I do enjoy acquiring oddities. Junner…"

A dark red curtain was pulled back electronically at the push of the small button beneath Junner's slender finger. Riddick's jaw nearly dropped at the sight of the massively built, seven foot tall (at least by his calculations) masked individual. It was the only one amongst the other displays that bore any type of clothing, although it was composed of a barely there netting material across the chest and some type of loincloth descending toward the creature's knees. A long and thick set of dreadlocks dangled a little passed his overly muscular shoulders from the top of his large, slanted forehead. The mask it wore bore no sign of it's expression, giving an overly eerie appearance to the imposing life form. Riddick's eyes traveled the expanse of the mountain of flesh down toward the base on which it stood, passed the clawed toes encased in sandals. Carefully he read the sign on the base. HUNTER OF MAN AND BEAST, YAUTJA PRIME. A sickening sound filtered through to Riddick's ears from behind him, sounding distinctly like a choking sob. He turned slowly, watching as Ava approached the creature with a shocked and sickened expression. Ava's hands trembled in the restraints as her eyes drifted toward the hidden face of the masked individual. Slowly, her slender, delicate fingers reached out and brushed lightly over the creature's muscular calf. Her stomach, empty as it was, roiled and threatened to evacuate what little food may have still been present. _No! It can't be! How…? _Ava's pained thoughts paraded through her mind as her fingers pulled away from the creature, stinging a little where they'd touched his frozen flesh. With a trembling voice she spoke. "You…have no….honor." Her dark gaze turned toward Chillingsworth as her mind invented a hundred tortures to visit upon this woman.

Unphased by Ava's malevolent scrutiny, Chillingsworth casually withdrew the bone dagger that had been hidden somewhere on her person. Ignoring Ava, she studied it carefully, turning the thing over in her hand as if she expected it to suddenly come to life. Chillingsworth's slender fingers traced the intricate carving on the handle with something that looked like reverence. "I knew this weapon looked familiar. I found a similar item on my prize when he was captured. I kept it, like all of his weapons; more oddities that please me." The lanky woman's cold gaze lifted to meet Ava's again. "His kind have spent so much time hiding from the rest of the universe, secretly interacting with mankind over the millennia yet the entire human species have no idea they exist. It seemed such a shame that I just had to keep this one all to myself." Ava trembled with rage as she listened to the woman coldly explain the warrior frozen in place before her. Carefully, she steadied herself. The woman's time would come; Ava, now, had no intention of letting her live. Killing Junner would only be a pleasant bonus. "Before this is over, you're gonna become more intimate with that dagger when I carve out your heart for the pleasure of Cetanu. You're sick and pathetic…tarei hsan." Ava's voice drifted off, the last words spoken in the very creature's own language. Chillingsworth seemed unperturbed by the slender young woman's threat, considering it little more than a veiled attempt to get under her skin.

Ava cautiously let her eyes drift toward the tall, muscular Yautja before her as a thunderous rage boiled in her veins. The sight of the proud warrior, no matter his clan status or any perceived crimes he may have committed, sickened Ava to no end. It was far more torture for one such as himself to be trapped forever in frozen stillness, captured and put on display instead of walking in the Halls of Cetanu. Careful to keep her voice low enough that only he could hear, Ava spoke. "I will free you, as Paya is my witness. Thar'n-dha Mei'hswei." Beneath the featureless mask, a pair of amber eyes glanced down slowly, regarding the relatively insignificant Ooman at his feet. This Ooman was different. She was strong, somehow, it pulsed off of her; and she knew his language. Perhaps, before this day was over, he would finally be free to deliver the s'yuit-de Ooman lou-dte kale that had captured him to Cetanu for judgment.

Turning abruptly, Ava's hands clenched tightly into fists as rage boiled in her veins. Whatever game this sick woman was playing was about to come to an end. Riddick moved to stand beside her, offering Ava whatever strength he could and secretly hoping she wasn't about to do anything stupid. Moving only his eyes beneath his goggles, Riddick watched as Ava's own dark gaze bore into Chillingsworth. At that moment he wouldn't have wanted to be the crazy woman with poor taste for all the credits in the Universe. It wasn't hard to imagine the types of things Ava was planning to do to her. Something about the tall, muscular alien had disturbed her and he wondered if it might have been one of her mysterious friends. If that was the case, even Riddick had to admit he'd hate to meet one in a dark alley. He returned his shielded gaze toward Chillingsworth who walked toward another curtain that parted at the push of a button just the same as the other one had. "What do you want from us?" Riddick ground out, whatever this game was it was wearing very thin. Chillingsworth gave him a sidelong glance, her nearly permanent smirk still in place. "You see, Riddick…" The woman crooned, one hand placed on her slender waist. "There's a fundamental difference between you and I…even your irritable friend there." Riddick gave her a sneer as his goggled eyes took in the sight of a massive black pit before them. It was lined with red lights that gave off an eerie glow and mimicked a blanket of blood on the ground. "Yeah." Riddick responded. "You're a psychopath." Chillingsworth let out a bout of laughter that echoed across the darkened pit. Casually she placed her hands on Riddick's cheeks as Ava offered the woman a menacing hiss. Junner grasped Ava's arm tightly with his robotic one, increasing the pressure until she thought the bone might actually snap.

Chillingsworth held her slender hands against Riddick's slightly stubbled cheek. "You don't appreciate art." She stated calmly. "But I think the reason for this is something very different than you or anyone else might think. You are an artist." Riddick shook the woman's hands away. He'd have to remember to wash her stink off. "I've been called a lot of things in my day. That ain't one of them." Riddick offered. Chillingsworth stepped away from him, reclining casually on a lounger and retrieving her glass of wine again. She sipped it slowly, her slender throat working as the sweet liquid poured passed her tongue. "You make art, Riddick, not analyze it. You shape it with your own hands, carve it from flesh and bone. But a man like you does not understand such a thing by being lectured. You must experience it." The room suddenly darkened, doused in a ruddy glow. Riddick heard a familiar voice, young and frightened, as he peered over the edge into the pit below. Jack, Imam, Carolyn and the Arab Boy (whom both Ava and Riddick now knew as Suleiman) were dangling precariously from long tethers and balancing on what appeared to be large balls. "What the fuck?!" Riddick grumbled, his eyes flitting over their terrified faces. "I told you I'd find you Riddick!" Jack piped up, fear evident in her voice.

Riddick turned a baleful gaze in Chillingsworth's direction, his evil intent hidden behind the dark lenses of his goggles. It was one thing, in his mind, to tangle with the likes of himself or Ava but now four innocent people were inserted into the twisted game of Chillingsworth's own device. He'd never admit it out loud but Riddick had actually grown quite fond of the four survivors. "What do you want?!" Riddick snarled, his hands flexing in the shackles. Chillingsworth took another sip of her wine, a few droplets of the crimson liquid lingering on her lips and blending in with their ruby color. "To watch you work. I've spent the latter half of my life observing fantastic things. The work of terrible men, men such as yourself; but it's always after the fact when the moment of bloody creation is cold and passed. That changes now." Chillingsworth reclined languidly as if she hadn't a care in the world and there wasn't a murderous convict and very dangerous science experiment in the same vicinity as herself. "I need to see it Riddick. See it with my own eyes as it happens." Riddick moves closer, his face only inches from the psycho woman. "I get outta there alive, you're gonna see it again….this close." Chillingsworth is unperturbed by Riddick's threat and casually placed the bone dagger beneath his chin, lifting his face a little higher. "An artist is nothing without his instrument." She purred, pulling the dagger away from his face and tossing it to the ground near the ledge.

With a growl, Riddick dove after the knife, eager to have a weapon in his hands again. Junner removed his tightened grip from Ava's arm and she briefly wished she could rub the sore appendage but the shackles prevented her from doing so. With a guardian-like stance, Junner placed himself between Riddick and his mistress, the corner of his mouth curving into a slight grin. "When we meet again, I'm gonna bury this in your eye." Riddick made his dark promise as his eyes narrowed at the man from behind his goggles. "Let him in." Chillingsworth commanded as the two mercs from before approached Riddick from both sides. He turned his attention on the fatter of the two, giving the man a swift kick to the face and tumbling over the railing with him. The pair landed in the pit just as the lights dimmed from red to purple. Chillingsworth held a pair of opera style glasses up to her eyes, intent of watching the spectacle from her comfortable lounge. With a burst of speed, Ava rushed toward the edge of the pit and launched herself over as if she were diving into cool lake. Junner lunged at her but missed, growling out his frustration. "Let her go, Junner. Perhaps she's an artist, too." Chillingsworth stated coolly. Ava tucked her head toward her knees, rolling forward as soon as she hit the ground until she came to a stop kneeling on one leg while the other was braced before her. "Decided to join me, huh?" Riddick mentioned, watching her from the corner of his eye. Ava offered him a casual shrug. "I might get bored watching you have all the fun."

With the ultraviolet lighting of the room, Ava was at a disadvantage. It blended with the midnight blue of her night vision, making it difficult to see clearly. In the darkness ahead of them came a high pitched shriek followed by a hiss of challenge. _The hell…? _Ava thought just as two black carapaces came into view. Larger than the drones she and Riddick and dealt with on the planet, their two pronged crests glimmered in the violet lighting of the room. "Praetorians, fuck me! What, are they having a two for one sale on these things now?!" Ava breathed, rising slowly to her feet and glancing around in a vain hope for inspiration. She was shackled and unarmed facing two large, angry and very intelligent Xenomorphs. Riddick kept his eyes on the approaching danger as he whispered in Ava's direction. "Lemme guess, more of those Xeno things." Ava sighed as she struggled against the chains that held her fast. "Yep. Bigger, badder, smarter ones." Riddick clenched tightly onto the dagger in his hand. "Great." He rumbled.

Their black exoskeletons glimmered faintly in the ultraviolet lighting of the room, giving the Praetorians an even more menacing appearance. Ava rose to her feet slowly, her dark eyes never leaving the two threats that had begun to circle them like a pair of hungry lions. Long talons scraped against the floor of the arena creating an odd mixed sound of tapping and rasping. Behind them, the survivors whimpered in fear, struggling vainly against the restraints that were wrapped tightly about their necks. "Imam…pray." Riddick rumbled casually, fingering the long blade in his hand as his unshielded eyes watched the circling predators. The large Xenomorph's barbed tail swung out, aiming for Riddick's bald head as he swayed out of the way deftly like a reed on the wind. The Praetorian hissed angrily at having been denied the kill, turning on it's long rear legs and charging the muscular fugitive with a shriek of challenge. Riddick dropped to his knees, rolling forward just as the massive beast leapt into the air thereby avoiding being pinned beneath the creature and coming into more personal contact with the sharp teeth than he would like. The Xenomorph landed on all fours, sliding on the slick floor and nudging against the ball upon which Carolyn balanced. The round platform shifted slightly and the woman was grateful that it hadn't moved enough to cause her any damage. Carolyn watched the beast through fearful eyes, glad it had returned it's attention toward a more challenging prey. Leaping forward again, the Praetorian's tail whipped behind it, cutting a deep gauge in Carolyn's leg and making the appendage threaten to buckle as searing pain flared out from the wound. Now, with the scent of blood in the air, the Xenomorphs would be driven into a frenzy.

The second Praetorian seemed more interested in focusing it's attention on Ava, who answered it's challenge with a hiss of her own. As a more advanced member of it's species, Ava could feel the creature's probing thoughts worming their way into her mind. The answering call of the hive; the summons to hunt, to kill, to breed and absolute loyalty to the Queen. Ava shook the feeling away, blocking out the psychic communication that had been a subtle distraction giving the Praetorian an opening to attack the unsuspecting woman. The long barbed tail shot out like a spear, whizzing passed Ava's ear as she swayed to avoid the attack. The creature whipped the tail around behind it and struck out again. This time, Ava raised her hands above her head and used the Xenomorph's attack to slice through the chain connecting the shackles. Now, with her hands free, Ava stood a better chance against her hard shelled foe. Still, she would give anything to have her pistols again.

Riddick's sent his own opponent skidding across the floor where it nudged the ball beneath Jack's feet out from under her, leaving the girl struggling against the noose that held her. Thinking quickly, Imam rolled his own beneath her, saving Jack from a gruesome death. The round platform was barely big enough for the two of them and Imam had to struggle to keep the precarious perch in place. It was too dark for him to see much of anything save for the occasional glint of light from the black crests of the Praetorians or the eerie glow of Riddick's eyes. Ava acrobatically avoided the attacks of the Xenomorph before her but knew her strength could only hold out for so long. She needed a weapon and she needed one now! Ava rolled backward away from her pursuer. Rising on her feet, Ava struck out with her long legs and immense strength, sending the Praetorian sprawling across the floor as it slid into the unstable perch Imam and Jack had been balancing on. Gripping the noose with all of his strength, Imam struggled to hold both himself and Jack up, if only a few inches, to prevent asphyxiation. "Riddick! Dagger!" Ava cried, prompting him to turn toward her and toss the dagger in her direction. The convict trusted the woman with his life, whatever she planned to do he knew she would not endanger him. Despite being left weaponless, Riddick watched intently as Ava rushed toward the struggling Holy Man, leaping over him until she clung to the rope above his head. With a swift movement, Ava sliced through the ropes that bound Imam and Jack to the ceiling before tossing the blade back to Riddick.

Raising his hand into the air, Riddick wrapped his large palm around the handle of the dagger and spun around to face the charging Xenomorph. Leaping into the air, Riddick landed behind the shield-like crest of the animal before he drove the dagger deep into the creature's skull. With a shriek of agony, the Praetorian stumbled forward and landed on the floor of the arena with a skidding thud pitching Riddick forward where he was luckily able to avoid the pooling acidic blood. High above the arena, Ava swung the rope and pitched herself forward until she landed back on the balcony only inches from Junner's tall form. With a smirk, Ava rose to her feet and cocked her head knowingly at Junner. In a blur of motion, Ava reached out and drew her confiscated pistol from Junner's belt before raising her foot and striking the unlucky man in the chest. The firm kick sent Junner sprawling over a very angry Chillingsworth who screamed something about spilling her wine before demanding that the man get his "useless bulk" off of her. Without regard to her own safety, Ava pitched herself backward over the edge of the balcony. One handed, she grasped the rope that had once held Imam aloft and used it to slow her descent. Although it burned the flesh of her palm, it certainly beat a broken neck.

Dancing and dodging the Praetorian's attacks, Riddick spun around the creature hoping it would be dumb enough to attempt another attack. Long, slender teeth showed through it's gaping maw as copious amounts of saliva dripped from trembling jaws. It hissed and screeched, raking the air with it's long talons while making a slow and wary pursuit of it's dangerous prey. Behind him, Ava raised her pistol, keeping the Xenomorph's darkly glimmering head in her sights. "Riddick! Drop!" Ava commanded, prompting the convict to roll backward away from the deadly beast just as Ava opened fire. A series of holes tore open in the creature's thick skull, weeping green acidic blood down it's chitin covered face. With a squeal of pain, the Praetorian slumped forward offering only a few residual twitches before stilling completely.

Turning slowly, Ava leveled her dark gaze on Chillingsworth. Raising her pistol, and fully aware that only two shots remained, Ava aimed toward the balcony as the woman scrambled for the control linked to the explosive in Riddick's neck. As close as he was to Ava, Chillingsworth was certain they would both be killed. Firing twice in quick succession, Ava's well placed bullets tore through the ropes holding Carolyn and Suleiman aloft. The pair tumbled to the ground, Carolyn twisting her ankle slightly as her feet slid off of the ball. As quickly as she could, Carolyn struggled to her feet and quickly ushered Suleiman toward where she believed Imam and Jack were still standing. Riddick's eyes never left Chillingsworth's trembling movements as she struggled to keep her slender hand on the trigger for the explosive. "Imam, knife." Riddick ground out. The Holy Man grasped the dagger firmly and tossed it toward Riddick who caught it deftly and laid the sharp point of the dagger against his neck. Grimacing against the pain, Riddick cut a small opening in his neck and carefully fished out the offending implant. A small red light blinked on the device, indicating it was armed and would probably explode at any moment. "Down!" Riddick ground out as he tossed the explosive toward the balcony where it detonated on impact.

Once the smoke had cleared, leaving only a few sporadic tongues of flame, Chillingsworth struggled to her feet. Her ears still rang from the loud explosion and she gazed around at the destruction in disgust. Junner stood slowly, every bone in his body screaming from his impact against the wall behind him. His long coat was singed and in tatters, one sleeve almost completely gone revealing his robotic arm. A series of blue lights glowed along the length of the false appendage as partially revealed gears whirred and groaned with his movements. With her disheveled appearance and wide, crazed eyes, Chillingsworth barked an order to her compatriot. "We'll need to rouse a substantial pursuit force." She ground out angrily, her eyes narrowing on the tall man before her. "Who?" Junner inquired, his mind drifting toward the rows of Mercenaries that lined the ship. In reaction to what she perceived as a stupid question, Chillingsworth screeched: "All of them! Even the 'Golls! Every man or thing that can hold a weapon! Every last one! Now!" She leveled her unhinged gaze on Junner as her slender foot dug into his own. He grimaced at the minor pain, debating on the point and effectiveness of slapping the woman across the face. Satisfied with Junner's pained reaction, Chillingsworth's mouth drew into a sly grin as mischief sparkled in the woman's cold eyes. "And release….HER." The woman commanded in a much calmer tone than she had used before. Junner was forced to share in his Mistress' glee, considering the hulking mass of ebony wrath he was about to unleash on the unsuspecting survivors.

**Chapter Seventeen: The Hunter**

Doubling back through the opening that had released the Xenomorphs, the group skidded to a halt as they gazed down the maze of corridors that made up this portion of the ship. Ava searched her surroundings, her eyes alighting on a ladder that seemed promising. "Up here." She called, ascending the ladder before Riddick had a chance to voice any concerns. The metal rungs echoed with their tapping footsteps as they scrambled through the small opening on the top. The passageway here was wider and seemed slightly familiar. To their right was a more narrow corridor that was dimly lit with soft, blue lights. Ava sprinted in the direction as Riddick called after her: "Where the hell are you going?!" Ava skidded to a halt, turning briefly to glance at him. "I've got a promise to keep." She stated blandly before disappearing down the corridor. "Shit!" Riddick grumbled to himself. The woman was infuriating sometimes. Riddick made to follow her but ordered the survivors to make for the hangar. "Don't follow me." He stated with a growl despite Jack's protests. "I can keep up! Riddick! Where are you going!?" A pair of silver eyes met Jack's green ones. "Maybe some day. Stay with Imam and the others." The tone of his voice offered no argument although worry gnawed at the girl.

The room at the end of the hall was brightly lit and lined with screens and blinking lights. _Jackpot! _Ava thought as she scanned the consoles trying to make heads or tails of the multiple switches and buttons. She smirked wickedly as she pressed the bright red button below the controls labeled for the Hunter she wished to free. "Hope you like abstract art, bitch." Ava grumbled to herself as her mind continued to invent pleasant scenario's of Chillingsworth's death. Sighing, Ava let her eyes wander over the rest of the controls. Truthfully she cared very little about the remaining man-cicles but her nagging conscience wouldn't let her abandon them to the same fate as the Hunter. She made quick work of the remaining controls, assuring that the rest of the prisoner themed "artwork" would soon be thawed and free. Ava turned, pausing as her eyes alit on a round pedestal in the center of the room. A column of bright light surrounded the array of Yautja weapons laid out on display which Ava presumed was a protective barrier of some sort. Cautiously, she waved her empty pistol through the light and was pleased that it only seemed to set off a series of blaring alarms. Quickly, she gathered up the weapons, strapping the ki'its-pa to her back and the chakt-ra to her waist. The wrist blades she gathered in her hands while inserting the Hunter's carved dagger into her boot.

Spinning on her heels, Ava turned back the way she came; seemingly the only exit to the room. Riddick stood in the doorway, shielding his shined eyes from the brightness of the control room with his hand. "Just what do you think you're doing, Ava?" His voice was a low growl, a tone meant to put his mate back in her place. Ava offered him a playful smile, her dark eyes glittering like the blinking lights that lined the room behind her. "I'm gonna go make a friend. Wanna join me?" Riddick's face remained impassive, devoid of emotion despite the mixture of rage and fear that seemed to constantly gnaw at him where Ava was concerned. Without awaiting his answer, Ava brushed passed Riddick, consciously aware of the heat of his body as their bodies touched briefly. A firm grip on her upper arm caused Ava to turn back to face him, certain he was going to scold her again. It didn't matter, this was something she had to do, something she had to see through. If she played her cards right, they would have a very powerful ally making their escape from the merc infested ship that much simpler. "You're gonna get yourself killed one day, Ava." Riddick stated in a commanding tone. The look in his eyes was something else entirely. Concern was reflected there as well as fear that both shielded a deeper emotion that flickered just below the surface. Ava tried to reassure him with a smile but his expression remained unchanged. "I have danced with death nearly all of my unnatural life. Do you know what I say to Death? Not today." Riddick released his hold on her arm and was surprised when she didn't immediately bolt down the corridor. He only nodded, relinquishing a modicum of command to the woman who had so far failed to lead him astray. Seeking the touch of his heated skin as well as an offer of condolence, Ava placed her hand on Riddick's stubbled cheek. "I will walk in the Halls of Cetanu one day, but it is not this day. When my time comes I will go to my u'sl-kwe, my final rest, with a glad heart because I know you will be there too. You are my mate, Richard, I will not walk this world or the other without you." Ava had no idea where those words had come from, only that she had spoken them with conviction and they had emerged from someplace deep within her.

Riddick stiffened briefly, unsure if it was from the idea of Ava's demise, the strength behind her heartfelt words or the fact that she'd used his first name. He had little recollection of anyone willingly using the name he'd nearly wiped from his memory. No one called him that, at least not for a very long time. The way Ava had spoken it made Riddick suddenly feel the slightest bit human. Maybe, just maybe, there was still enough of him left to save and perhaps Ava was the woman who could rescue him from himself. Reluctantly Ava turned away from him and made her way cautiously down the narrow corridor toward the darkened passageway of the ship again. Ava considered that they must have been on the correct level of the ship and simply had to pick their way through the labyrinthine passageways until they found their way back to Anatonia Chillingsworth's House of Horrors again.

A set of large, ornately decorated doors told Ava they had arrived at the correct location. The doors slid upward with a low hiss as Ava approached, blinking against the bright lights of the conservatory as they entered. Stopping at the top of the curved steps, Ava observed the room, milling with recently unfrozen convicts. They were weak and disoriented and Ava feared the Hunter would have fared no better. From the position on which they stood, the area that had housed the Hunter was not visible. Ava turned toward Riddick, serious determination in her eyes. "Whatever happens, whatever you hear, DO NOT move from this spot. Yautja are a distrusting sort and that distrust tends to lead to a messy death for the other person. Let me handle this first." Riddick was not one for taking commands very well, especially from a woman. However, this time he was inclined to agree not wishing to tangle with an angry, seven foot tall alien. Ava took the first tentative steps down toward the main floor of the conservatory, her eyes darting between the naked convicts. The men and women in the room watched her warily as Ava confidently made her way through the see of naked bodies. Finally her eyes alighted on the Hunter who remained kneeling on the pedestal, his head bowed. His dreadlocks fell over his shoulders, shifting slightly with his subtle movements. If it weren't for the fact that Ava could see his chest move as he breathed, she might have thought him still frozen.

Sensing a presence near him, combined with a strangely familiar scent, the Hunter rose his masked face to regard the little Ooman who approached him with an air of buoyancy in each of her quiet steps. _She moves like a hunter. This prey may be worthy after all. _He mused as his mask filtered only the heat of her body against the coolness of the room. Cautiously he switched off the heat vision and allowed himself a more unhindered look at the prey that approached him. Rising to his feet, the Hunter cocked his head and offered a soft trill of curiosity. Wordlessly, Ava slowly laid his confiscated weapons at his feet before taking a few steps backward. The Hunter glanced down toward his possessions and back up again at the Ooman female at his feet. Much less eagerly than she anticipated, Ava watched as the Hunter bent to retrieve his weapons. He quickly attached the wrist blades and slung the ki'its-pa across his muscular back. The chakt-ra he attached to his belt along with the ornately carved dagger. A series of appreciative clicks emanated from the masked alien as he tested the wrist blades by quickly elongating and retracting them. Assured that they were still in good working order, the Hunter lowered his armed appendages to his sides intent on studying the Ooman female further.

Ava took a cautious step forward, laying a hand over her chest as she spoke. "Yeyinde." She uttered, indicating her Yautja name that had been given to her. For a moment it seemed that the Hunter didn't understand or, perhaps, had no intention of offering his own name. It was clear from the marking at the top of his mask that he was not a member of Ava's adopted clan. Perhaps there was some variations in the language she didn't know about from clan to clan. Slowly the hunter raised a clawed hand toward his own breast. "Rah'k'shan." He uttered slowly, his voice slightly distorted from the mask. Ava offered a brief smile, although she was aware that human facial expressions were something of a mystery to Yautja. Her heart jumped into her throat as Rah'k'shan stepped from the pedestal in one long stride until he was only inches from her. The two warriors regarded one another for a moment, Ava sternly standing her ground before him. Her eyes were fixed on the expressionless mask but she jumped reflexively when a few taloned fingers brushed against her cheek. Rah'k'shan turned her head carefully to the side, examining the mark of her clan on the cleft of her jaw. He trilled again, a soft purr-like sound meant to calm the Ooman female. Ava's familiarity with the ways and culture of her Yautja allies extended even to a slightly stunted knowledge of their unusual vocalizations. The calming purr was different from a mating purr, if only just slightly. "Kainde Amedha chiva." He uttered softly, his mask making mincemeat of the words. Ava kept her dark eyes on the Hunter that had her life, literally, in his hands. With his great strength, it would take very little for him to lower his grip and wrap his massive hand around her throat until the life had been squeezed out of her. "Sei'i." Ava stated firmly.

The feeling of a sudden chill descended on Ava as Rah'k'shan removed his hand from her face. Surprisingly he nodded to her in something she interpreted as approval. Ava kept her gaze on the tall mass of muscle before her before she spoke again. "Do you wish to be free of this place? Do you wish to see the woman who imprisoned you writhing on the end of your blades?" Behind his mask, Rah'k'shan's eyes narrowed in rage as he raised his head and let out a bellowing war cry. The sound of it seemed to shake the very walls of the large room and sent several of the hardened convicts skittering away. "I'll take that as a yes." Ava stated, more to herself than the Yautja before her. With a confident smirk, Ava continued. "Will you join me then, brother? Will you fight at my side and make Cetanu proud?" Rah'k'shan raised his arm, releasing his wrist blades with a sound of rasping metal. He eyed the weapon for a moment before turning his masked face toward Ava. With a nod he said: "M-di H'chak." Ava offered him another smirk despite the fact that he would have no idea what it indicated. "Sei'i. Not for that lou-dte kalei Ooman u'darahje."

Following the female willingly, Rah'k'shan made a few threatening gestures with his writs blades toward the naked convicts that surrounded them. A mechanical sound erupted from him sounding distinctly like a form of laughter. _I forgot they have a sick sense of humor. _Ava mused, attempting to stifle a set of giggles as hardened murderers ran in fear from the seven foot tall giant. At the top of the steps, Riddick stiffened at the sight of the creature that seemed to be following Ava like a distorted guard dog. His hand lat at the small of his back, fingering the handle of the dagger that rested there. Rah'k'shan made a sound of challenge toward the threat that stood before him and the little Ooman female. Ava turned quickly, placing her hand on the flexing muscles of Rah'k'shan's chest. "Easy big guy. Friend, not food." She chided him gently, breathing a sigh of relief as he noticeably relaxed his stance. Ava carefully made her way toward Riddick, taking her place beside him to show the Hunter that the muscular man was indeed on their side. Rah'k'shan took a few steps forward, scenting the air carefully. The scent of the male was strong and he realized that he'd smelled it before….on the Ooman female. Their scents were intermingled, combined. _Mates? _Rah'k'shan considered as he watched the pair interact. Ava could feel the tension in the room as if the air had become stifling, like a tropical jungle. Rah'k'shan made a curious sound through his mask, his head moving between Riddick and Ava. Seeking to draw an abrupt close to any conflict before it began, Ava turned toward the door urging Riddick to accompany her. "Okay, boys. You two have to play nice if we're gonna get outta here alive. Save the macho preening shit for later." Ava offered Riddick a saucy wink although he only narrowed his eyes at her. Luckily for him, his goggles were in place and she wasn't able to see it.

**Chapter Eighteen: Her**

Distantly, voices could be heard seemingly in all directions. The recently freed mercenaries scoured the corridors for the escaped convict who was apparently running around freely somewhere aboard the massive vessel. They'd also been warned about his dangerous female companion. "Two for the price of one." The sarcastic merc, Toombs, mentioned snidely as he gripped his weapon tightly and peered down yet another empty passageway. "Riddick gets a nice cell and I get a nice piece of ass." Toombs continued, a sickening grin stretching across his stubbled face. "You won't get nothin' if you don't find them first!" A female merc with spiky blonde hair mentioned absently as she punched him in the shoulder with her free hand. Toombs turned his enraged gaze toward the woman, his finger sliding toward the trigger on his pistol. "Do that again, bitch, and I won't be responsible for my actions." Toombs growled, promising an ugly death if she touched him again. The woman only sneered, unphased by his threat. "Just take point, pencil dick!" She mentioned as she brushed passed him and entered the empty corridor to continue their search.

Riddick, Ava, and Rah'k'shan came to a sudden stop at an unfamiliar looking T junction. The Hunter sniffed the air again but it was still thick with the scent of other Oomans, one's that had passed by recently. Cautiously, Riddick glanced first down one long corridor and then the other. It seemed uncharacteristically devoid of life. "I don't like this. Why don't you send tall, dark and scary?" Riddick mentioned, actually eager to be rid of the immense brute. Ava gave him a baleful look. "We'll go this way, he can go the other." She stated, turning briefly to offer her suggestion to Rah'k'shan. The Yautja inclined his head to her as if in agreement, stating in broken English: "Yeyinde, careful." Ava nodded in turn and disappeared into the darkness with her human mate.

The long tunnel seemed to stretch on forever and Ava was becoming increasingly concerned about where it might lead. Ahead of them, flickering lights illuminated the junction they had come across intermittently. Riddick and Ava inched slowly into the immense corridor, their eyes searching the area warily. Large tubes ran the length of the walls on either side, providing the entire vessel with, presumably, water, gas, and perhaps electricity. The high ceilings were sporadically dotted with slender, tubular lights that seemed to be affected by a momentary power drain. The eerie silence was unnerving at best and both of them were beginning to wonder when they would run into a form of resistance. A low, menacing hiss drew Ava's attention and she turned slowly to face the opposite direction. The corridor behind them was partially doused in darkness but Ava's night vision gave her an unhindered view of the danger that loomed in the corridor behind them. "Well, fuck me sideways!" Ava muttered, backing slowly away from the looming threat until her body struck Riddick's. He turned toward her, his eyes suddenly darting toward the darkness as the crowned menace emerged from the shadows and passed beneath the flickering lights. As the lights dimmed and reignited above the Queen, it gave the oversized Xenomorph matriarch a far more devilish appearance. "That bitch!" Ava growled angrily. "I bet she's been breeding the things…or intends to….and she's got a whole ship load of disposable hosts." The shit just kept getting thicker and now Ava and Riddick were neck deep in it.

Thick chains clanked against the metal floor of the vessel, making an irritating grating sound as the Queen pursued her new prey. Her toothy maw descended from behind the protective chitin that composed the impressive crown she wore, dripping saliva as she hissed a challenge at the two interlopers. Riddick and Ava continued their descent into the darkness behind them, neither one eager or willing to face such a creature so unprepared and under armed. "You got any ammo in that pistol of yours?" Riddick whispered behind her, the warmth of his breath falling across her skin. Ava shook her head despairingly. "Maybe one. Won't make a dent in her, though." She whispered, her eyes never leaving the mass of black fury before them. "Can we outrun it?" Riddick wondered aloud. Ava sighed. "Doubtful. These things are wicked fast." The Queen closed in slowly, the sound of her heavy breathing and the clank of the chains she dragged behind her echoing in the immense corridor. _What the hell. _Ava mused, clasping tightly onto Riddick's forearm. "Run!" She cried, turning tail and fleeing away from the Queen in a vain hope that she could buy them enough time to formulate a better plan. The Queen pursued them, despite her hulking mass, her wild screech echoing in the long tunnel.

The area opened up to yet another oversized corridor, although this one looked as though it could've doubled as a room. They paused briefly, searching for another possible escape route. Ahead of them, a tall ladder extended high above them and although Riddick had no idea where it could lead it was better than any of the alternatives. "Up here!" He commanded, beginning a quick ascent up the metal rungs. Ava followed suit, clamoring up the ladder as quickly as possible. Her leg was suddenly wrenched out from under her as a large, taloned claw wrapped around her ankle. A shrill scream cut the air as Ava was forcibly pulled from the ladder and left dangling from one leg as the Queen observed her with something akin to disgust. Eager to prevent the other prey from escaping, the Queen tossed Ava against the wall of the vessel where she struck it with a dull thud. Pain screamed across her back and her head as Ava desperately tried to fight off the unconsciousness that threatened to creep up on her. Riddick let loose a feral growl and leapt down from the ladder, palming the dagger and sending a silent challenge to the Queen. The massive creature gazed at the insignificant thing before her; a speck of humanity that she intended to douse entirely.

An inhuman roar echoed from the opposite side of the room as Rah'k'shan leapt toward the Queen with his wrist blades extended. The long, metal barbs pierced the hard carapace of the Queen, drawing out her acidic blood that dripped down her skeletal frame. She cried out piteously as Rah'k'shan pulled out his blades and brought them down again, carving a deep gouge in the Queen's side. With a scream of pain, the Queen raised her crested head and lurched her body trying to shake off her attacker. Unsuccessful in her attempt, the Queen raised her barbed tail and brought it down on Rah'k'shan, piercing him in the side of his lower abdomen. Pulling back her tail with Rah'k'shan still attached, the Queen tossed him aside with a flick of the impressive appendage. Rah'k'shan fell against the wall with a thud, shaking of the momentary disorientation and rising to his feet slowly despite the gaping hole in his side.

Riddick's eyes darted about the room, searching for something that would inspire a flash of inspiration. His eyes lit up at the sight of an open portion of the wall that revealed a series of large, rotating gears. Sprinting toward the Queen, Riddick avoided her sharp talons and teeth as he slid on his back toward the far wall. Grasping a hold of one of the chains that dragged behind her, Riddick tossed it into the slowly moving gears, watching as it rotated further, pulling painfully on the chain and effectively trapping the Queen. At least he hoped. The Queen's head was roughly pulled backward as the collar around her neck tightened painfully and she let out a squeal of rage. Bleeding and trapped, the Queen slashed out with her tail, attempting to squash the insignificant bug behind her. Riddick dodged the flailing appendage as it sliced a few deep grooves in the metal floor. "Damn." Riddick muttered at the damage the Queen's tail had caused. He shuttered to imagine if that had been his flesh.

Ava pushed herself away from the wall, noting how the chain strained with the Queen's struggles. A few links began to open under the tension and Ava knew it would only be moments before she would be free again. Thinking quickly, Ava glanced toward Rah'k'shan who had withdrawn his spear in preparation of a fight to the death. "Rah'k'shan! Ki'its-pa!" She cried, holding her hand in the air. Sensing her intentions, Rah'k'shan tossed his spear toward Ava who instantly made a mad dash toward the struggling Queen. Leaping high into the air, Ava extended the spear to full length, turning it until it was parallel to her own body. Falling atop the struggling Queen, Ava drove the tip of the spear deep into her neck just behind the five pointed crest. She turned the spear several times with menacing glee, widening the deep hole she'd made further. The Queen screamed in rage and pain as she vainly attempted to dislodge her attacker. Gripping tightly onto the spear, Ava rode out the Xenomorph Matriarch's death spasms as if she were a giant bucking bronco. With her feet placed firmly behind the Queen's crest, Ava felt as though the air were being pressed out of her chest as the beast suddenly pitched forward sending Ava sprawling onto the ground in front of the massive corpse. Her arms, aching from the death grip she'd maintained on the spear, trembled slightly as Ava pushed herself off of the ground. Still on her hands and knees, Ava felt something take a firm grip of her upper arm and haul her gently to her feet.

Panting and nursing a few minor cuts, Riddick relinquished the grip he had on Ava's arm, his eyes roaming her body for any outward signs of serious injury. "Dangerous thing you did, Ava. That recklessness is gonna catch up with you one day." Riddick chided her gently, at least more so than his usual rantings. "She's dead, isn't she? I'm fighting a war, a few risks will be involved." Ava stated in a commanding tone that Riddick knew better than to argue with. Gods, this woman could be infuriating at times. Ava slowly turned her attention to Rah'k'shan who leaned weakly against the wall as he held his profusely bleeding side. "Cjit!" Ava cursed, rushing toward the hulking brute and instantly laying her hand over his own. "Come, you are hurt." She stated in his own language, urging Rah'k'shan away from the wall with gentle prodding. "We are going to escape this place, you will come with us, yes?" Ava pressed, her eyes focused on his masked visage. Too weak for argument, Rah'k'shan only nodded and allowed the little Ooman to lead him toward safety and possibly escape. Ava paused a moment, carefully leaning the injured Hunter against the wall as she doubled back toward the Queen's corpse. Struggling only briefly, Ava pulled the spear from the deceased Xenomorph and retracted it carefully. Rushing back toward Rah'k'shan's side, Ava held the spear before her vertical to her body offering it back to it's rightful owner. Rah'k'shan weakly pushed it back toward her own body, saying: "You kill Kainde Amedha, you keep… Yeyinde. Need warrior's weapon." Ava wore a pained smirk as she carefully slung the weapon across her back. Her eyes briefly alighted on the wound in his side; it wept blood profusely and she knew he didn't have long to live without some way to at least stop the flow.

**Chapter Nineteen: Uncivilized**

The docking bay contained one small vessel and seemed strangely devoid of life. Riddick paused briefly, sniffing the air casually and searching the area for any signs of Junner or his unholy Mistress. Cautiously they crept inside, Ava following as she carefully maneuvered the injured Yautja warrior toward the vessel that was their only means of escape. Drops of thick, luminescent blood fell from Rah'k'shan's grievous wound as he slumped against Ava's shoulders. The idea of allowing a s'yuit-de pyode Amedha to assist him was virtually disgusting, however this particular Ooman had proven herself in battle against the Kainde Amedha Queen with bravery befitting the greatest warriors in his clan. A sickening whimper drew Riddick's attention toward the side of the docking bay. Junner held Jack aloft, his large hand wrapped around her slender throat. He smiled with merciless glee as his hand squeezed tighter around her neck, cutting off the air ways despite Jack's desperate struggles. The brave girl kicked at him, holding out her middle finger in defiance. "Jack!" Ava breathed, readjusting her grip on the weakening Yautja warrior. Riddick palmed the bone dagger, his hand tightening around the delicately carved grip. "Let her go!" Riddick growled angrily, garnering Junner's complete attention. The large man smirked wickedly, intent on enjoying killing this Riddick before he ended the life of the infamous Ava Ripley.

Ava carefully readjusted her grip on Rah'k'shan and was surprised when he rose to his full height taking his weight on his own. Distantly, Jack continued to struggle against her attacker who seemed to be enjoying toying with the girl a little too much. A glance at his leg that now held a slender knife in his thigh surrounded by a thick, crimson stain. It took only moments for Ava to recognize the weapon as Riddick's bone shiv that had been lost when Johns attacked him after the death of Zeke. _Jack had that this whole time…clever girl. _Ava mused. Junner felt himself being lifted away from the girl, dropping her unceremoniously to the floor as he was raised high into the air by his coat collar. Rah'k'shan held him aloft, a roar of challenge echoing in the docking bay as he studied the insignificant Ooman who had been instrumental in his capture. Rah'k'shan tossed Junner away in disgust and the unlucky man skidded across the metal floor to finally come to rest at Riddick's feet. Offering a nod of approval, Rah'k'shan relinquished the kill to Riddick, who twisted the dagger in his hand eagerly. Jack lay at the feet of her massive rescuer, her wide eyes traveling his tall, muscular length. Rah'k'shan turned his masked face to regard the girl at his feet. Her scent was strong and he had no doubt she was a female despite her boyish appearance. He offered the frightened child a calming trill as he lowered a clawed hand toward Jack. Distantly, Carolyn cried out to her, threatening the massive creature as she feared for the girl's life. Imam held her back. "It cannot want to hurt her. Not after what it did to that maniac." Imam reassured the blonde woman who held her fear and anger at bay as she watched the massive alien pull Jack to her feet.

Riddick and Junner circled one another like a pair of warring lions. Junner's long sword stretched out before him, effectively keeping Riddick at bay. Swinging the dagger toward him, Riddick growled angrily as Junner deftly dodged the attack. Riddick was pitched forward onto one knee, wincing as he felt the disturbance of air as Junner's sword struck the ground only centimeters from his muscular arm. The gears in Junner's false appendage whirred as he pulled the sword free of the metal floor where the tip had embedded itself in. Riddick reached up, grasping the metallic arm with one strong hand, rendering Junner temporarily incapacitated. Spinning the bone dagger in his opposite hand, Riddick raised it over his head and brought it down into the small gap that exposed the precious wires of the robotic appendage. Riddick twisted the blade as sparks and smoke issued from the prosthesis. Junner roared in anger as he wrested himself free of Riddick's merciless grip. Pushing with all of his strength, Junner forced Riddick against the far wall of the docking bay. Face to face, the men both struggled for dominance, their blades grinding against one another.

With a flick of his elbow, Junner made contact with Riddick's jaw giving him a brief upper hand and allowing him to disarm the convict. The bone dagger skidded across the floor. Junner grinned foolishly as he pressed the blade of his sword against Riddick's throat. Without proper use of his robotic arm, Junner was forced to use his other for leverage. Raising his knee, Riddick kicked Junner away and made a mad dive for the bone dagger. Junner's sword struck the metallic floor only inches from Riddick's face, halting his progress and preventing him from reaching the dagger. Moving with impossible speed, Junner collected his sword and raised it before Riddick's face. "Not so high and might now, are you?" Junner taunted as Riddick's eyes trailed the length of a long cable that stretched toward the opposite wall at Junner's feet. Grasping the cable, Riddick cracked it like a whip, using momentum to wrap it around the man's thin neck. Riddick tightened the impromptu noose as Junner struggled to catch his breath. Pulling on the cable, Riddick flung Junner against the wall behind him. Pitching himself forward, Riddick rolled away from the strangled madman collecting the bone dagger before rising to his feet. Riddick strode confidentally toward Junner, yanking the cable and bringing the man face to face with him. With a quick movement, Riddick buried the dagger into his left eye, pushing the blade through his socket with evil intent. "I told you that was coming." Riddick grumbled as he rose to his feet, drawing the dagger out of Junner's eye with a sloppy, sickening sound.

Ava breathed a sigh of relief now that Junner was dead and they all had a chance at escape. Slowly she made her way toward Riddick who was busy wiping the blood from the dagger onto Junner's discarded coat. He let it spin in his hand, holding the grip toward Ava. "Said I'd return it later. It's later." Riddick rumbled deeply, pressing the weapon into Ava's palm. His hands lingered on hers for a moment unwilling to forego the feel of her touch for even a moment. His skin tingled where her fingers brushed against it and he couldn't deny the sudden urgency he felt at the contact. This woman, his mate, made him burn like never before. Ava made him feel things he'd thought dead and buried a long time ago. "Thank you." Ava murmured softly, a tone that was completely unlike her. Truthfully, Riddick did things to her, too.

Riddick turned abruptly and began making his way toward the single lonely vessel. "Where are you going?" Carolyn's voice ushers from somewhere across the room. "Gonna prep this ship and get off this heap." Riddick rumbled, holding his aching arm as he walked slowly toward the vessel. "So…WE…can escape?" Imam chimed up, a hint of worry in his voice. Silently, Riddick made a "come on" motion with his hand urging the rest of the survivors to join himself and Ava. The ramp of the vessel lowered slowly revealing a not-entirely-sane Anatonia Chillingsworth standing at the top. Her normally immaculate hair was askew and her eyes twitched with rage and madness. She raised an ancient looking pistol toward Riddick's head, her hand trembling. "To hell with you, you bloody stinking savage!" Chillingsworth cried as she fired the weapon at nearly point blank range. Riddick fell backward although he'd only been grazed by the blow. "Hey, bitch!" Ava called out, drawing the maddened woman's attention just as she rushed forward, leaping into the air. The bone dagger sunk deep into the side of Chillingsworth's neck before the woman was able to get off another shot. Blood spurted from the wound onto Ava's clothes as the Mistress of the Kublai Khan stumbled from the ramp of the ship to fall onto the metallic floor of the docking bay. "He's MY bloody stinking savage." Ava retorted over the woman's dead body. Carefully, Ava pulled Riddick to his feet eagerly assessing the wound to his temple. He waved her hand away, despite the blood that dripped over his cheek. "Awfully uncivilized of you, Ava." Riddick ground out, his silver eyes focused on her own. Ava only shrugged, a decidedly nonchalant gesture. "Yeah, and you're the savage." Riddick chuckled at her wry humor. "But I'm YOUR savage." Ava smiled as she placed a palm on his cheek and kissed him gently on the lips.

Ava remained on the ramp as the remaining survivors walked wearily on board. They'd all suffered more trials than any person should have to endure. Glancing back, Ava met Rah'k'shan's intense gaze; shielded as it was by the mask. Slowly she made her way toward him, her boots tapping lightly on the metal ramp. The tall figure glanced down at her, a soft trill emanating from him. "I go to my u'sl-kwe, to walk with my brothers in the Halls of Cetanu. I cannot live with my dishonor." He told Ava who lowered her gaze away from him to hide the tears that dappled her long lashes. She understood his decision although she did not relish it. His warrior pride would not allow him to leave this place and continue on as a Bad Blood amongst his clan. They would turn their back on him for his captivity, possibly even kill him on sight. If his death would keep his honor in tact then Ava, unfortunately, could see no fault in it. It only pained her that such a magnificent specimen of his species would give up his life. Slowly, Rah'k'shan removed the dagger from his belt and held it out to Ava. Slender fingers, so much tinier than his own, clasped the handle tightly as she lifted her gaze to him again. "For your mate. He is a worthy warrior and a worthy match for little Yeyinde." Ava smiled and found herself blushing at the thought of the man currently awaiting her return in the ship behind him. She felt a subtle warmth, too, at the mention of her clan name.

A soft hiss drew Ava's attention as she watched Rah'k'shan slowly remove his featureless mask. He lowered it away from his face, his mandibles flaring slightly. A pair of amber eyes stared back at Ava, full of strength with just a hint of softness. Rah'k'shan's outstretched hands held the mask out to Ava who took it gingerly, a look of confusion written on her face. "I wish to be remembered." Rah'k'shan stated, his gravelly voice denoting a touch of sadness. Ava nodded her affirmation, holding the mask against her chest. "Sei'i, as long as I breathe you will not be forgotten. Thar'n-dha s'yin'tekai Kv'var-de." Ava stated solemnly as she laid a single hand on his shoulder. Rah'k'shan mimicked the motion himself, a greeting and sign of respect amongst his kind. Reluctantly, Ava pulled back, slowly making her way toward the vessel. Rah'k'shan's parting words would remain with her the rest of her days. "Payas leijin-de hma'mi-de." Ava glanced over her shoulder, nodding almost imperceptivity. "Sei'i." She stated plainly before disappearing into the ship as the ramp closed behind her. Glancing down at his wrist, Rah'k'shan pressed a few buttons until a series of numbers appeared across the screen. They were in the written language of his people and flashed bright red as he input the sequence that would set off a massive nuclear blast thereby destroying the madwoman's vessel once and for all. Slowly the lights began to change from red to green indicating the explosion was only moments away. He only hoped he'd given Yeyinde and her companions enough time to get away.

Ava hurtled herself into the unoccupied co-pilot's seat beside Riddick who was making final preparations for launch. "Your friend's not coming?" Riddick wondered amusedly as he casually glanced at the human occupants and noted the lack of the tall warrior. Ava shook her head, still feeling saddened. "No. He was dishonored among his people and remained behind to….sacrifice himself. We need to go quickly, though. He's gonna blow up the ship." Riddick's expression seemed surprised if not outright shocked. "Seems an odd sorta thing to do." He stated plainly. Ava sighed, despite the fact that Riddick's words stung a little. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. His people hold honor very highly. They would rather die than be captured. Since he was held prisoner for so long, he wouldn't be able to go back anyway. He's an outcast." Ava's dark gaze met Riddick's just as the vessel lurched forward and made it's way through the docking bay doors. The small ship hurtled forward moments before it was jostled by the explosion that claimed the Kublai Khan, it's frozen inhabitants and Rah'k'shan. Ava lowered her head fighting back tears at the loss of the great warrior. Another death in the pointless war she'd been fighting nearly all of her life. She tried to stifle her tears, a silly Ooman weakness that Rah'k'shan wouldn't have appreciated anyway. Suddenly she felt warmth on her hand as Riddick grasped it tightly with his own. "I'm sorry, Ava." His words were heartfelt and even Riddick was surprised by their sincerity. Ava smiled bravely and nodded, drawing Rah'k'shan's dagger from her belt. "Here. He wanted you to have this. Keep it with you always and bring his memory honor." Riddick took the blade from her, marveling at the shear perfection of the curved blade. It was slightly longer and heavier than Ava's dagger but no less flawless. His fingers trailed over the carving on the handle. He'd have to remember to ask Ava what it represented. Reaching down he placed it in his boot before turning his attention to the captivating woman in the co-pilot's seat. "I will." He stated firmly, meaning every word. Casually, Riddick set a course for Helion Prime, the destination: New Mecca. Now, hopefully, they could reach safety without any further entanglements.

Yautja Language

Tarei'hasan: Unworthy opponent, insect.

Cetanu: God of Death

Paya: Conquering Warrior, a term of respect. A Deity.

Thar'n-dha Mei'hswei: Strength, brother.

S'yuit-de Ooman lou-dte kale: Pathetic human female

Ki'its-pa: Retractable spear

Chakt-ra: Smart disc, shuriken like weapon with retractable blades

U'sl-kwe: Final rest, death.

Sei'i: Yes, affirmative.

M-di H'chak: No mercy, no fear.

Lou-dte Kale Ooman U'darahje: Female human abomination.

Cjit: Damn/shit, interchangeable.

Pyode Amedha: Soft Meat, humans.

Thar'n-dha s'yin'tekai Kv'var-de: Strength and honor, Hunter.


End file.
